Fire EDblem: The Twilight Army
by The Mauve Lantern
Summary: The kingdom of Lygriba is falling into chaos, and only the hope the people have lies in the hands of a young girl and her three companions. The forces of darkness are closing in...
1. Prologue: A Friend In Need

Fire ED-blem: The Twilight Army

By The Mauve Lantern

_In the Third Age of Man, there was a great war between the races of man and demon. Throughout the continent of Lygriba, bloody battles were fought, with no victory in sight; no victory, that is, until a great hero rose up to challenge the Lord of Shadows. This hero, along with his army of followers, saved Lygriba from the menace, and banished the demons away, seemingly for good…_

_A full millennia has passed, and new nations have risen up around Lygriba: the forest nation Konohal, ruled by the people; Woldor, the kingdom in the mountains, is lorded over by the royal family; ruled by theocracy, the oceanic kingdom of Poseida; in the desert, the small kingdom of Teratea is home to the desert tribes; the land to the north, Zumirba; the grand kingdom of Ryadina, most powerful of the nations._

_It is a time of peace, but there have been disturbances in the world, with rumors of an attack coming from the kingdom of Ryadina. The king, Gildeon, has denied any connection to the rise in bandits, but the attacks continue without any end._

_Something is coming…a dark cloud sweeps over the land…_

Prologue: A Friend in Need

"Get back here, ya little rat!"

A small party of cutthroat bandits is racing through the forest in an attempt to catch up to the child who just robbed them of their gold. This chase had been going on for a couple of days, and now the hunters and their prey are on the outskirts of a small village in Konohal.

She, the thief, is a young girl, perhaps thirteen years old, and has black hair that is kept out of her eyes by a brown bandana. Draped around her body is a forest green cloak, and the hood is pulled back, revealing a narrow face with lavender eyes. Her feet are wrapped in a pair of dark green pixie boots, and she wears a pair of green gloves on her hands. Her torso is adorned by a viridian tunic, and her legs are covered by white stockings. And right now, she is running for her life…

The little thief turns to her pursuers and sneers at them, shouting, "Is that the best you can do?! My grandmother can run faster than that!"

The lead bandit growls, "Grrr…why you little- GET HER!"

Despite her taunts and jabs, the girl knows that she can't keep running like this; sooner or later, they will catch her, and she doesn't have the strength to fight off three armed bandits by herself! As she thinks up a plan, she doesn't notice the wall that stops in front of her. The girl crashes into the wall at full speed, and realizes it's a human that she hit.

"OW!" she cries out as she falls on her rear.

A yellow hand reaches down to help her up, and a deep voice asks slowly, "Are you okay?"

The girl takes a good look at the young man she ran into: he's pretty tall and has long red hair reaching to his shoulders; his biceps are revealed, and show powerful muscles running up his arms. The sleeveless tunic he is wearing is green, but there is red and white striped shirt on underneath it. His pants are made of some blue material, and he has black boots on his feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine; forgive me," she quietly says, before she turns to find the bandits have caught up to her.

Laughing evilly, the leader tells the young man, "Hand over the girl, lad; ye don't want to get involved in this!"

The young man tilts his head and asks, "Why would I do that?"

"She stole money from us!" the leader shouts, "Ain't a soul alive that stole from Jango the Beast, and lived to tell the tale!"

The girl keeps looking from Jango to this boy, who seems to be standing up for her; thinking she can run off, she attempts to take off, only to find that the boy has grabbed her arm. "Let me go!" she screams, but her plea lands on deaf ears as the red-haired boy refuses to let go.

He stares the bandit in the eyes, and says slowly, "I don't like bandits very much, so I don't think I'll give her to you."

Jango's eye twitches in fury, and he roars, "Fine! Have it your way; you'll wish you'd never messed with us! Napo, get 'em!"

One of the bandits leaps at the boy, wielding a heavy axe; he lets out a war cry, and prepares to slice the boy in two. However, the boy dodges to one side, and pulls out an iron sword from its holster.

He grimaces and whispers, "Guess I have to fight," and he slashes at the bandit with all his might. The sword slices into the man's chest, and then the boy kicks him into a tree. Without letting go of the girl, he glares at Jango and readies his sword, as if saying, "I will stop you."

"ATTACK!" shouts Jango, and he and his remaining bandits ready themselves for combat.

The girl realizes she has to fight, and she begs the boy, "Let me go! I can help you!"

"Tell me your name and if you can fight," he whispers to her.

She sighs and says, "My name is Delilah, and I can fight, but I don't think my dagger will do me much good now."

The boy reaches behind him and pulls out a slim sword; he judges its weight, and tosses it to Delilah, who catches it by the hilt. The boy smiles and tells her, "You can keep it, if you want."

"This will do perfectly, umm…"

"Ed."

"Right; Ed, thank you." She readies herself for battle and shouts to Jango, "Come get some, you oaf!"

One of the bandits charges at Delilah but she dodges to the side, deftly avoiding the axe; in return, the bandit girl sliced at him with her sword, forming a gash in his side. With her opponent wide open, Delilah goes in for a stab, and she manages to impale the bandit on her sword. Unfortunately, it was not a killing blow, and her foe was still able to fight.

While Delilah deals with one of Jango's underlings, Ed grapples with the other, who screams, "Take THIS!" as he swings his axe at the youth. Closing his eyes, Ed blocks the axe with his iron sword, ending the bandit's attack.

"My turn," Ed says as he punches his opponent in the gut, sending him reeling. He is not finished, however, and Ed dashes forward and slashes upward with his blade, cutting deep into the bandit's gut. To finish, the boy tosses his sword into the air, where it spins; he leaps up to catch it and he crashes down on the bandit, effectively killing him.

Jango, shaken at how Ed has taken out two of his men, grits his teeth and asks himself, "How…how could we be beaten by this kid?!" Gripping his iron axe, he rushes Ed, who tries to parry with his sword. He is too slow, however, and his arm is slashed by the axe; reeling backwards, Ed clutches his wound, trying to stop the blood.

Delilah screams, "ED!" and she deals one final blow to the bandit in front of her, taking his life in the process. The girl dashes over to aid her new ally, and she slices Jango's arm, taking vengeance for Ed's injury.

Reeling in pain, Jango growls, "You wench! I'll kill the both of you, ya hear me?!" He raises his axe high, and sends it down on Delilah, who leaps to the side before she can be murdered, and she spins in a circle, delivering multiple attacks to Jango's back. The man howls in pain, and turns to confront the girl; he doesn't realize that Ed has gotten back up.

Ed shouts, "See ya later, alligator!" and brings his sword down in a downward slash, tearing into Jango in the process. Blood pours out of his back, while small rivulets of the crimson life-force seep from his mouth.

The bandit gurgles, "H-How was this…possible…?" before he crashes face-first onto the forest ground, a pool of red forming on his back.

Sighing with relief, Delilah says to Ed, "Whew, that was a close one!" Then she notices Ed's injury, and she gasps, "Ah, Ed! Your arm!"

The boy looks down and seems to notice the injury for the first time, pondering, "Hmmm…how did that get there?"

"Here," Delilah instructs her friend as she reaches into her pack, "Take this vulnerary, and drink up; it'll fix that gash."

"Aw, don't worry about it!" Ed waves his hands and slowly backs away, "It's only a flesh wound!"

Delilah follows him and says, "Take the vulnerary, Ed; if it goes on bleeding like that, you'll pass out!"

Ed stops and shuffles his feet as he puts his hands behind his back. "But," he muses, "I hate medicine…"

"…That's what this is about?" the girl asks, shocked that such a strong guy could hate the taste of medicine. "Well, we have to do _something_!"

The boy perks up and exclaims, "Ooh! My friends in the village have some stuff I can use!"

Delilah sighs, "Okay, we can go there, if you want."

"Come on! I promised Eddy I would have some firewood for dinner!" Ed shouts as he wipes his sword clean and picks up the lumber he was carrying earlier.

Scoffing, Delilah says, "Fine, be that way; reject treatment," then, when Ed begins to walk off, she smiles and thinks to herself, "This should be fun!"

--

Name: Delilah

Class: ??

Level: 1

Name: Ed

Class: Mercenary

Level: 1


	2. Chapter 1: The Lost Boys

Fire ED-blem: The Twilight Army

By The Mauve Lantern

_After running for days from a troop of bandits, the young thief Delilah was forced to go into battle against the wicked men. Thankfully, she found aid in the form of a powerful young man named Ed, whose skills with the sword were more than enough to take out the bandits of the forest._

_Now, Ed, with Delilah in tow, is returning to his village, where his friends are waiting. Unbeknownst to the two, a horde of enemies are closing in on them…_

Chapter 1: The Lost Boys

Walking slowly through the forest, Ed and Delilah make their way back to his village, where Ed has said that his friends are waiting. "Ed?" Delilah asks, "What's the name of your village?"

The tall boy rubs his chin with his hand and says slowly, "Well, it doesn't exactly have a real name…I'd say it would be…Peach Creek."

"What do you mean, "It doesn't have a real name."?" she questions.

"It's not really a village," Ed explains, "It was just this small, abandoned town we found, so we fixed it up and made it our own!" Before he can go on describing Peach Creek, he grimaces and steadies himself against a tree.

Delilah puts her hands on her hips and huffs, saying, "Will you just drink the vulnerary already!? You're _clearly_ in pain!"

"Uhh, nopenopenope! I'm good," Ed tells her through grit teeth, "We're not that far from Peach Creek anyway; I'll be fine."

"If you say so," she sighs. Delilah grabs hold of the bundle of wood Ed is carrying and says, "At least let me help you carry that lumber."

The rusty-haired boy laughs, "HAHAH! Thanks, that helps a lot!" then he stretches his arms over his head, only to howl in pain from the gash in his arm. "YEEEEEOWWWW!"

Delilah giggles and asks "You're not very bright, are you Ed?"

"Hey, I am smart! I- Hey, look at that bird!"

Pushing ahead, Delilah thinks to herself, "Give me strength, o spirits of my ancestors…" while her new companion stares at a bird up in a tree.

"Cripes, where is that useless lump?!" a young man shouts.

His friend places a pale hand on his shoulder and says quietly, "Patience, Eddy; Ed will be here soon. He must have seen a bird again, lovable oaf…"

The shorter boy runs his fingers through his spiky blonde hair and grumbles, "He better be; we can't put off lunch much longer!"

Before he could carry on with his whining, he is interrupted by a loud voice hollering, "EDDY! EDDWARD!"

Both boys look at each other and simultaneously say, "Ed's here."

Sure enough, their bumbling friend bounds into town and wraps his arms around his friends, shouting, "My friends! Oh, you won't believe what's happened to me today!"

"That's great, Ed," the shorter boy gags, "But can you let us go?!"

Ed releases his friends, not realizing how he has nearly strangled his friends AGAIN. TODAY. Then, he remembers his injury, and he asks, "Eddward, do you still have those healing herbs?"

The pale boy reaches into a pouch around his waist and says, "I think I should…Ah! Here you are, Ed!" When he passes the herbs to Ed, he notices the girl standing behind him, a bundle of lumber by her feet.

"Ed," she asks, "Are these your friends?"

In front of her are two boys: a short boy with spiky blonde hair and a pale boy wearing a black cloak. The shorter boy has a dirty-yellow tunic on, with a pair of red pants on underneath; there is a blue hood attached to the tunic, and a red scarf around his neck. To complete the mismatched ensemble, there is a white chain around his neck, and a pair of red shoes on his feet. This must have been the one Ed referred to as "Eddy".

"Eddward", the pale boy, has a large black cloak with a white trim, the hood of which covers most of his head, save for his face and two jet-black bangs that hang in front of his eyes. Underneath the cloak, Delilah can see an orange tunic and a pair of dark shorts, as well as a pair of dark blue shoes. She can tell that this boy was more reserved, just by looking at him.

"Yep! These are my pals!" Ed exclaims, a beaming smile spread across his face.

Eddward makes his way over to Delilah and holds out his hand, saying, "Are you a friend of Ed's? Pleasure to meet you; I'm Eddward, with two Ds."

"I'm Delilah!" the girl tells him, "Nice to meet you, Eddward."

The pale boy turns to his friend, who has hung back, "Eddy, aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

"Nah," the blonde boy says, "You can do that for me."

"Hmmph!" Eddward gives an indignant huff of air and frowns, before turning to Delilah and telling her, "That's Eddy, but you may want to watch out around him; he has a tendency to take things from people."

Eddy takes offense to that and shouts, "HEY! I would never think of robbing a lovely lady, got that?"

Delilah smirks, "Actually, I'd probably steal from you before you could get me."

Bursting with laughter, Ed says, "Ohoho, she's got you, Eddy!"

"Just what we need," Eddward mumbles as he rubs the bridge of his nose, "Another thief…"

After getting the introductions out of the way, Eddward offers to show Delilah around the "village". He starts off by pointing to a small house and saying, "That is where we three are staying for now; there's a well in the center of the town, and we get all our food from the forest."

"What about the other houses?" Delilah asks, "Doesn't anybody live in them?"

The pale boy lowers his head and almost whispers, "No one else lives here; they were all chased away by the bandits in the surrounding area. Ed, Eddy and I have been living here for a month now, and no one has returned yet…"

Before Delilah can question her guide any further, a savage howl tears through the town, alerting the young ones to a pack of wolves that have marched in on them, hoping for some fresh meat. Eddward screams in fear and cowers behind Delilah, while Ed and Eddy run forward to discover the source of the noise.

"This is not good!" Eddward whispers to his guardian, "Those are dire wolves; they're fierce and dangerous!"

Delilah quickly looks around the village, hoping to find a safe way out, only to discover another dire wolf has blocked the way. "Well, we're stuck here," she tells the boys. "The only thing we can do is fight our way out."

"Are you insane?!" Eddy whispers loudly, "We can't take on a pack of dire wolves by ourselves! Right, Ed?...Ed?"

Ed has fallen silent again, his attention focused on the wolf pack in front of him and his friends. A steely glint passes through his eyes, and he says, slowly, "Delilah's right, lads; we can only fight. So…we must-

"ATTACK!" The tall boy tears his sword from its scabbard and hurls himself at the nearest wolf, cutting deep into the monster's flesh. Taking a cue from their friend, the others scatter themselves and prepare for battle.

Delilah dashes ahead and slashes at one of the dire wolves, slicing it across the face; howling in pain, the wolf recoils, leaving him open to another sword strike from the agile girl.

Near the cottage where the boys reside, Eddy has engaged a wolf in combat, although he does not have as much luck against his opponent. He goes for a stab at the monster's side, but it nimbly avoids his blade and counter-attacks with a swipe of its claws. The knife-like claws rip across the boy's tunic and into his torso, knocking him away as blood pours out of his wound. Staggering backwards, Eddy clutches his chest in pain; next time, he will not miss.

Eddward is having difficult time with one of the wolves as well, as he needs space for his attack to work. After running away for a moment, the boy sprints into one of the abandoned houses and locks the door. With the dire wolf on the other side, and his body out of harm's way, Eddward sighs in relief before removing a black book from his cloak. Flipping the book open, the boy holds it in one hand, while he stretches the other out in the direction of the door. He can feel the life force of the wolf outside, and he locks onto that feeling.

The boy raises his pale hand to the heavens, and chants, "Versammlung, dunkle Kräfte! FLUX!" The shadows in the cottage shoot into the air, and gather into the form of a swirling orb, teeming with black energy. Eddward lowers his hand to the ground, and the orb falls as well, pooling at his feet; it vanishes, and reappears outside, where it strikes the dire wolf, killing it in a moment. His opponent defeated, Eddward wipes a bead of sweat from his brow and opens the door, only to duck back inside to avoid a wolf that has come to avenge its fallen comrade.

Over with Ed, things have gotten trickier: two wolves have moved in for the attack; one of which is visibly more powerful than the other. One wolf dashes at Ed and bites down on his injured arm, making the swordsman holler in agony. Not to be outdone by its partner, the other dire wolf slashes at Ed's leg, tearing through the cloth and scraping the flesh.

"Bad dog," Ed mutters as he raises his sword into the air before bringing it down on the first wolf's head, releasing his arm. Next, he slashes at the wolf that sliced his leg; he swings his blade horizontally, ripping into the monster's side. The two beasts, having acknowledged that their opponent is powerful, ready themselves for another attack.

Eddy, sensing that the wolf is going to attack, readies his iron sword and bends his knees so that he may dash away quickly. The dire wolf makes a lunge for the boy, but he is too quick, and avoids the claws and fangs; to counter, Eddy slices at the wolf's face, scarring the beast. The dire wolf and Eddy growl at each other and begin to stare each other down, daring the opponent to make a move.

Delilah, having slain her foe, decides to take on the leader of the pack. She turns to find that the dire wolf at the far end of the village has not yet moved; it waits in hunger, and will only move once a human has fallen. Taking the initiative, the girl sprints at full speed towards the alpha wolf, her cloak billowing behind her and her light sword clutched in an iron grip. Once she is close enough, Delilah leaps into the air and executes a downward slash with her sword. The blade strikes the dire wolf, although it does not do much damage. Enraged, the monster launches a counterattack by lunging at his opponent and ramming his head into her stomach, throwing her back several feet.

Sensing that Delilah needs help, Ed performs a spin with his sword, slaying both of the dire wolves that face him. He dashes over to Delilah and asks, "Are you okay?"

"Just…swell…" she responds, although she is having trouble breathing.

Eddward looks through the window of the cottage in order to see if there are any more wolves approaching; once he decides it is safe to leave, he opens the door and carefully maneuvers around the fallen monsters at the doorstep. The boy looks over to Ed and Delilah, who are facing down the head of the pack, and then to Eddy, who is in the middle of a stand-off. "Hold on, Eddy!" he shouts as runs over to aid his friend, "I'm coming to help!"

His friend replies, "Don't worry about it, ghost-face!" without turning his sight from his opponent. The short boy grips his sword in his hand as he makes a sudden attack on the dire wolf. He slashes at the beast with his sword, cutting deep; landing nimbly on his feet, he goes in for a second attack. This time, the wolf has turned so that his side faces Eddy; the boy uses this to his advantage. His sword comes down and slices into the monster, effectively killing it.

At the sight of all the blood, Eddward gags and vomits on the ground slightly. He never was used to the sight of blood. "That…was barba…barbaric!" the weak boy moans in between gasps for air.

"Y'think?" Eddy tells him as he puts a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It was a do or die moment, Eddward; I did what I had to in order to survive. Now, we'll talk about this later, but right now, we have to go help Ed and the lady. Come on!" Eddy helps his friend to his feet, and the two of them walk as quickly as they can to their comrades.

The dire wolf makes his move, and he attacks Delilah again; he delivers another blow to her chest, and again the girl reels in agony. She is racked with pain to the point that it is difficult to move, so she cannot counter-attack.

"Delilah!" Ed shouts as he looks over to his friend. His eyebrow furrows, and he turns to face the alpha wolf, crying out, "I SHALL AVENGE THEE!" as he leaps into the air and slams down on the monster's back. The beast howls in pain and frustration, but it gets back on its feet for another attack. He jumps at Ed, and almost bites down into his arm; however, before he can do this, he is knocked away by the boy's sword.

Arriving for the final part of the fight, Eddward and Eddy brace themselves, and prepare to attack. "Cover me," Eddy instructs his friend, "Send out some dark energy before I strike."

Eddward nods and says, "Be careful, Eddy." Then, he pulls out his magic book and recites the incantation again, "Versammlung, dunkle Kräfte! FLUX!" Like before, the nearby shadows are pulled into a swirling mass only to vanish into the ground and reappear in front of the alpha wolf, striking it and greatly injuring the monster.

With the beast distracted, Eddy moves in for the kill. He twists his body around and launches off the ground in a spin, tearing at the beast with his sword. Finally beaten, the wolf howls one last time before falling to the ground in a bloody heap. The battle is over. Their lives saved, the young fighters can rest easy now, or so they think.

Delilah looks around the town until her eyes light up as a thought crosses her mind. She turns to her friends and tells them, "We have to leave. NOW."

"What's the problem?" Ed asks.

"The problem," the girl explains, "Is the scent of blood here. Other monsters will be coming to find out what it is, and when they come, they'll find us. We need to get out of here!"

As Ed and Eddy run into their cottage to gather a few belongings, Eddward nervously asks, "Where can we go, Delilah?"

Smiling, the girl pulls a map out of her tunic and shows it to her friend, saying, "There's a town not far from here. About a day or two of traveling, if you three can manage it."

"Oh, don't worry about us!" Eddy tells Delilah, a small satchel over his shoulder, "We'll be fine! But what about you, m'lady? It's gonna be tough and rough!"

"I think I can handle it, Eddy," she says as she wipes her blade of dire wolf blood.

Mere moments later, the four are ready to leave. On the outskirts of the abandoned village, Ed turns back and shouts, "Farewell, Peach Creek! We'll be back for you soon!"

Delilah smiles again as she says to her friends, "Okay boys, try to keep up!" and she sprints away, the three Ed boys running after her.

--

Name: Eddward

Class: Shaman

Level: 1

--

Name: Eddy

Class: Thief

Level: 1


	3. Chapter 2: In Harm's Way

Fire ED-blem: The Twilight Army

By The Mauve Lantern

_The young thief Delilah has met Ed's friends, Eddward and Eddy, and was offered asylum in their village. It was discovered that the village of Peach Creek had been abandoned months ago, and the three boys had been living there for weeks. Before Delilah could ask her hosts of their pasts, they were attacked by a pack of wild dire wolves. _

_Thankfully, the four young vagabonds defeated the monsters in combat. Victory did not come without a price, however; the scent of the fallen beasts would surely attract other monsters, forcing Delilah and her companions to leave the village._

_Now, they are on their way to the town of Delbrook, where a friend of Ed's is in danger… _

Chapter 2: In Harm's Way

"Here we are!" Delilah announced to her companions, "Ed, Eddward, Eddy: Welcome to Delbrook!"

The three boys peered over the hill they had finished hiking up, getting a better glimpse of the town below: Delbrook was much larger than Peach Creek, with many more houses, a proper store and weapons shop, and there were even two small groups of cottages in the town. For these boys, who had been isolated for who-knows-how-long, this was like the first drink of water, after being trapped in a desert, for them.

"Wow! This is incredible!" Ed ran around in circles, taking in the new town. "Ooh! There's a chicken!" He chased after the bird, leaving his friends behind. Eddward laid a hand on his forehead as he let out a heavy sigh, while Eddy and Delilah laughed hysterically at the antics of their simple friend.

Finally, Eddward decided, "I'm going to make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."

"All right," Delilah told him, "Let's meet back here when the sun passes over the items shop, okay?" Eddward nodded before running after Ed, leaving Eddy and Delilah alone.

There was a moment of silence between the two, until Eddy asked, "Do you wanna go steal something?"

"Thanks, but no thanks," was her response. Delilah looked up and down the street of the town until she saw a pub down the way. "Tell you what: let's go grab a bite to eat."

"Fine by me. I could use some regular food, after living off the land for so long."

The two thieves made their way into the pub, where Delilah planned to use the stolen money she had to pay for their lunch. As Eddy tore into a piece of salted pork, his hostess ignored her meal, deciding, instead, to ask her fellow thief just what, exactly, he and his friends had been doing wandering around alone.

"Eddy," she started, "Why were you, Ed and Eddward living by yourselves in that abandoned village?"

Eddy looked up from his salted pork, took a swig of wine, and bluntly said, "Me and the boys were con artists. We travelled from town to town, robbing people blind with all sorts of performances."

"What do you mean, 'performances'?"

"Well, Ed would show off some of his fighting prowess, Eddward would perform some magic tricks, and I would follow through with some acrobatics."

"Doesn't sound like stealing to me…"

The boy laughed. "Let's just say that those weren't the only things we did to get things from the townsfolk." To prove his point, Eddy reached into his pouch, which was hidden by his cloak, and pulled out a dead bug; he quickly stuck it underneath what was left of his salted pork.

Delilah was confused, until Eddy picked up that last piece of meat and screamed, "OY! WHAT'S THIS BUG DOING IN MY MEAT?!"

One of the serving maids rushed over to the table and asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Yeah, there's a problem: there's a dead bug in my salted pork! I refuse to pay for this!" he shouted, attracting the attention of the other patrons. "I can't believe this! Come on, Eliza, we're leaving!" He grabbed Delilah's wrist and indignantly stormed out of the restaurant.

Once outside, the two of them made their way over to a stone wall a good distance from the eatery, where EEddy released his pent-up laughter. "HAHAHAHAH! Di-Did you see the look on everyone's face?! Priceless, I tell ya, priceless!"

"I have to admit," Delilah said in between breaths, "That was pretty clever! So, you three would do this everywhere you went?"

"Oh, totally sure! In fact, Ed and Eddward have some pretty good stories; you should talk to them sometime."

"Will do. Now, you want me to show you a nifty way to get some free items from the shop?"

--

While Eddy and Delilah were discussing the finer methods of thievery, Ed was in hot pursuit of the chicken, and quickly gaining on it. Finally, he jumped through the air and picked the bird off the ground, holding it like a cat or a dog. "Gotcha, you little devil!" he whispered as he stroked its white feathers. "I shall hug you, and love you, and call you George!"

A man's shouting attracted his attention down the road. "Watch where yer goin' with that blasted horse o' yer's, girly!"

"Maybe you should watch where you're standing, hmm?" a blonde girl shouted. This girl was wearing a light-gray suit of armor that covered her torso and shoulders, a white tunic underneath, gray, metal gauntlets on her hands, and gray boots. She wore a short red skirt, and some of her hair was pulled into braids that dropped onto her shoulders. What caught Ed's attention, however, were her front teeth, which were larger than usual, and stuck out of her mouth.

"May?"

--

Meanwhile, Eddward was resting against a fence, trying to catch his breath. As a practitioner of magic, his body was not built for chasing after his more physically-capable friend. "How…can…he run…so…fast?!" he asked in between gasps of air. "Darn him and his love of chickens."

After he felt like he had rested enough, Eddward stood back up and walked down the road, saying, "Well, nothing's blown up yet; Ed must be behaving himself."

--

"Yer bloody horse landed on my bloody back! Do yeh even know 'oo I am?! I'm Tusk, th' baddest bandit yeh ever seen, 'n ah demand res'tution fer me damages!"

May cried, "I'm not giving you my Pegasus, you dastard!"

"Watch yer tongue, girly," Tusk pulled a sword from his belt, "Ah'll cut yeh and yer 'orse inter pieces!"

A cough from Ed interrupted their dispute, and Tusk shouted at the boy, "Who the bloody 'ell are yoo?!"

"I'm Ed, and that's my friend that you're picking on. You cannot do that. It's wrong."

May, seeing that Ed had come to her rescue, threw herself at him and tackled him in a hug. "Ed! Oh, I knew you'd come to my rescue!"

He smiled and asked, "Hello there May; what's the problem?"

"I was flying into town on my pegasus, and we had a bit of a rough landing; we crashed on that bandit over there. I apologized to him, but he won't let me go!" she sobbed, "Make him stop!"

Ed looked at the large group of bandits and told them, "Gentlemen, the lady said she was sorry; I think it would be best if you let her go."

"No way, yeh little prick!" Tusk roared, "Me back is in bad shape, an' this girly ain't walkin' away 'till I've got res'tution!"

Sighing, Ed stared down the large bandit. "That won't be happening, o ugly one. May, grab Marigold; we go!" He turned around, but felt the touch of an iron sword on his back.

"If yeh walk away right now, ah'll declare war on yeh and yer girly there," Tusk murmured. "D' yeh want ta git the entire town wrapped in this?" In response, Ed spun around and knocked away the bandit's sword with his own weapon. "Tha's it, yeh just made yerself an enemy fer LIFE! LADS!"

"OY!"

"We're burning this town ta the ground!"

May grabbed Ed's arm and threw him onto her pegasus. "Hold on tight, Ed! Fly, Marigold, FLY!" The winged horse shot through the air, while its passengers observed the bandits positioning themselves around the village.

"How do we fight all these bandits, and keep them from tearing the town apart?" May asked.

"Don't worry," Ed told her, "Me and my friends can take these guys down!" Then, he looked back down into the streets and spotted Eddward. "May, go down into the street for a second!"

Marigold swooped down to the ground, and Ed grabbed his magical friend. "Eddward, we've got a little problem."

"Wh-What's the matter, Ed?"

"Bandits."

"BANDITS!? Ed, what did you DO?!"

Ed shook his head. "Now's not the time to point the finger of blame, Eddward; we have to get Eddy and Delilah!"

--

Meanwhile, in one of the cottage groupings, a girl looked out into the main road, wondering what all the ruckus was about. She had hair that shined like the sun and eyes as blue as the ocean, with fair skin and a petite body. For clothes, she wore a black tunic and a white leather vest over that; below, she wore a pair of black pants, with a white belt, and white shoes. There were black gloves on her hands that ran up her forearm, and a bow and full quiver rested on her back.

"Hmm, sounds like there's going to be a fight," she murmured to herself, "I best tell everyone to get inside their houses."

An older man came up to her and asked, "Nazz, is everything all right?"

"No. We need everybody to get into their homes, NOW."

--

Delilah massaged the bridge of her nose, and asked, "Ed, you picked a fight with a bunch of bandits, and now they want to burn and pillage the town?"

"That would be the situation, yes."

"What were you THINKING!?" screamed Eddy. "We can't handle a whole gang with just the four of us!"

May coughed in order to make the shorter boy acknowledge her existence. "Actually, Eddy, I can fight, too. I've been training with my sisters for some time now, and I thinkg I could put up a good fight."

"We're not letting you get involved, May," he told her.

"You have to let me fight! It's slightly my fault that you have to do this anyway, and I really want to help."

Delilah stepped in between the two of them and said, "Okay, we're not going to get anywhere if we just argue. Here's the plan: Ed, Eddy and I will press forward, and try to get rid of the bandits up the road. Eddward, you go to that group of cottages there, and warn them; May, you fly over to the other grouping. Watch out for archers!"

Once the orders were distributed, the group sprung into action. Ed pulled out his sword and charged forward, alongside Eddy and Delilah, who were both readying their weapons. A bandit jumped at Ed, who knocked him away with his sword, sending him flying into a fruit stand.

While Ed was dealing with the bandit, Eddy and Delilah were running down the street, until an arrow flew past his ear. "Take cover!" shouted Eddy, and the two thieves ducked behind a few water barrels.

"How do we take this one out?" asked Delilah.

Eddy thought for a moment, then told her, "We wait until he has to notch another arrow, and then we rush out and gut the villain!"

"Good enough for me!"

The two waited for another moment as the enemy archer shot another arrow at the thieves' hiding spot. Once he stopped to pull another arrow out, Eddy and Delilah ran out of their hiding spot and hurled themselves at the thief. He quickly fired another arrow, which embedded itself in Eddy's shoulder, but he only grimaced as he impaled the archer on his sword. Incapacitated, the opponent had no way to stop Delilah from tearing into his side with her sword. The archer fell to the ground, dead.

Before they could stop to rest, another bandit was upon them, ready for a fight. "It's gonna be a long day," Eddy grumbled as he slashed at the axe-bearing menace.

--

While Eddy and Delilah fought against a man twice their size, Eddward was running through the small commune of cottages, warning people to get inside.

"What do you want here?" a voice asked him. Eddward turned to find the source: a lovely blonde girl, who had an arrow aimed right at his head. "Tell me before I put a hole in your head!"

"P-P-Please, wait! I'm n-not an enem-m-my: I'm t-t-trying to fight the b-bandits out there, and I came to w-warn everyone!"

The girl waited for a second before lowering her bow. She laughed, and said, "Sorry about that. I wanted to help these people out, since they've been keeping an eye on me for a while." She looked Eddward over, and asked, "Can you fight, though? You don't exactly look like a fighter…"

"Oh, I use magic in combat. I'm Eddward, and I'm a shaman," he said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"I'm Nazz, and I'm an archer." She extended her hand, which Ed shook, although with much nervousness. "I'd like to help you out, if you don't mind."

"I don't see why not; you certainly seem capable with a bow and arrow."

Nazz nodded, and ran out onto the main road, where they proceeded to shoot an arrow into the neck of Ed's opponent. She turned back to Eddward and shouted, "Come on, Eddward!"

"Right behind you, Nazz!"

--

As May flew over to the other group of cottages, she spotted a mercenary, wielding a large sword, headed for the houses. "I don't think so," May whispered as she flew down to engage the man in combat.

She started the fight by lunging at the man with her lance, which did some damage to him. In response, the man leaped into the air and brought his sword down on May, grazing her arm. Through the pain, May delivered another blow, sending the man to his knees.

"That should stop you," she said as she flew over to the cottages, not noticing that the mercenary was back on his feet already. He staggered over to her, and delivered a blow to her back, dealing a good deal of damage to May. The girl would not be stopped, despite the pain in her back; Marigold spun around, and May twirled her lance before bringing it down into the man's chest, effectively killing him.

Her opponent dead, May caught sight of the battle, and then she turned to the people who were watching her fight. "You people need to get inside your houses for now! GO!" Once all the townsfolk were inside, the pegasus knight nodded in satisfaction and went to join her friends.

--

As Eddy and Delilah double-teamed the bandit in front of them, Ed took care of a fighter who had charged onto the scene. Both fights were made quick, with Eddy and Delilah skewering their foe on their blades, and Ed running the fighter through on his sword.

Nazz and Eddward proved to be a dynamic duo as well, with Nazz firing an arrow at any nearby foe, and Eddward coming in to finish off the enemy with a magic spell. When another archer would appear, Nazz would take cover while Eddward would confront the bow-wielding menace. The phrase, "Versammlung, dunkle Kräfte! FLUX!" would be the last thing their enemy would hear.

On the other hand, May was having trouble fighting, mostly because the enemy force was comprised of axe-wielding bandits. For a lance user, like herself, anyone with an axe was trouble. Thankfully, Ed was able to help her fight off an oncoming bandit, so she did not have to worry.

--

Finally, it was down to just the six young heroes and Tusk, the boss of the bandits. Tusk had avoided fighting so far and was, therefore, unharmed; Delilah's party, on the other hand, was worse for the wear. Eddward had a cracked rib from where a bandit had hit him in the chest, Nazz was bleeding from a sword wound on her chest, and May's arm was wrapped in a tourniquet; Ed was tired and bleeding from axe wounds on his chest and his arm, Eddy had cloth straps wrapped around the many arrow wounds he acquired in the fight, and Delilah had broken a finger and received a gash in her leg.

"Looks like the heroes can't fight!" Tusk smirked, thinking that victory was his. "Now, yeh lil' brats are goonna pay fer takin' out me lads!" He readied his sword, and charged at Ed, who was nearly torn in two from the attack.

May screamed, "ED!" and flew forward in a diving attack. The blow connected with Tusks shoulder, throwing him back and giving him a deep gash. Unfortunately, he could still fight; the mercenary leaped into the air and almost knocked May off Marigold with his power.

Deciding to gang up on their enemy, Eddward, Eddy and Delilah surrounded the man on three sides. Eddy and Delilah both attacked him, though their strength was nothing compared to his; their attacks injured him, but he still stood his ground. Eddward held his hand high and cast the spell of Flux, which caused the shadows around him to pool together and bombard Tusk. Finally, before he could launch a counterattack against the three, Nazz released an arrow, which whizzed through the air, right into their foe's chest.

Tusk barely whispered, "D-Damn you…all…" before his mouth filled with blood. Finally, he fell to the ground, blood pouring from all the wounds he had received.

--

After the battle, the townsfolk invited Delilah and her friends to stay at the inn that evening, free of charge. The owners of the restaurant Eddy and Delilah had stolen from were willing to let the heroes eat there, although the two thieves had to scrub dishes. There was a celebration for the young heroes that went through the night: Eddy spent the time flirting with the women of the town, while Eddward discussed the magic books with learned men, and May and Ed told their harrowing adventure to those that would listen.

Delilah and Nazz, on the other hand, had gone off by themselves, to discuss their plans for the future.

"So," Delilah asked, "Where are you headed to next?"

"My destination is the city of Goron in Woldor," was her response, "I'm heading back home to see my family again."

The thief nodded in reply, and said, "We're headed for the Konohal capital of Ordin; you could come with us, if you'd like…"

Nazz smiled. "I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for your generosity."

"Think nothing of it. Now, let's head back to the festivities."

--

Name: May

Class: Pegasus Knight

Level: 1

--

Name: Nazz

Class: Archer

Level: 2


	4. Support Conversations Part I

**Fire ED-blem: The Twilight Army**

By The Mauve Lantern

**Support Conversations: Part I**

Ed and Delilah(C level):

While Delilah and her companions were fighting against Tusk and his bandits, she noticed that after Ed was standing in one place, looking up into the sky.

"What are you doin', Ed?!" she screamed, "You're going to get attacked if you stand there and do nothing!"

He said nothing for a moment, then asked, "Delilah, what do you think that cloud looks like?"

"Eh? What does that cloud look like? Umm…nothing. Now quit-"

"I think it looks like a bird, don't you?"

She shut her eyes and asked, "A bird?"

"Or a rabbit; I can't decide."

Delilah tapped him with the butt of her dagger to get his attention. "Well, you'll have plenty of time to think about it in the fight. Come on!"

Before he ran back onto the battlefield, Ed took one last look into the sky and tapped his hand on his chin. "Yes, definitely an eagle."

"ED!"

"Coming!"

Eddward and Nazz (C level):

During the confrontation with Tusk, Eddward had joined forces with the archer, Nazz; together, the two of them tore through the bandits that were invading Delbrook. When there was a temporary lull in the battle, the young shaman had stopped to catch his breath, when Nazz came up to him.

"Don't tell me you're out of breath already!"

Eddward glanced up and wheezed. "I…don't …partake in…exercise…very much."

The blonde archer patted her ally upon the back and said, "You really need to work on that! I stick to a strict regiment, you know?"

"Really?"

"Yes! It really helps, to be in good shape!"

The boy nodded, and asked, "Nazz?"

"What is it, Eddward?"

"After this, i-if you were to travel with us, do you think that you could help me…exercise?"

Nazz giggled, and her face lit up in a warm smile. "Sure thing, Eddward!"

Eddy and Delilah:

In the fight against Tusk and his bandits, Eddy and Delilah had proven to be a dynamic fighting force, able to take down larger enemies together. After taking down a powerful enemy, Delilah asked her partner, "Say, Eddy?"

"What is it, lil' lady?"

"First, don't call me "lil' lady"; I'm the same age as you! And second, why did you call me Eliza earlier, when we left the restaurant?"

"I'll call you whatever I feel like, love," Eddy said, a jocular grin spread across his face. "I called you Eliza because you never give these people your real names."

"But why?"

"So that if the guards come after you, you can throw them off by saying you're not who they're looking for!"

Delilah pauses to think for a moment, and asks, "But won't they know your face and clothes?"

Eddy chuckles. "We didn't have the time to grab our assortment of disguises from Peach Creek, love; if we did, we could have robbed this town entirely!"

"You'll have to tell me more," she says to the boy, "Some time; right now, we have a fight to win!"

"Will do, love."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

Ed and May:

As Delilah and her traveling company were fighting the bandits in Delbrook, the young pegasus knight May was struggling against the foes, mostly because they used axes. Once, when a bandit had caught her off-guard, she screamed, only for a red-headed boy to come to her aid.

"Thanks for saving me, Ed!" she says, a beaming smile on her face.

He wipes his brow and tells her, "No thanks are necessary, May; I'm a hero, and that's what we do!"

"Y'know, I never got to thank you for helping me that one time, back in my village."

"Think nothing of it!"

May rides over to Ed's side and says, "Still, I'd like to offer you my assistance some time, if you ever need it."

"Um, uh, th-that's n-n-n-not necessary…" and he runs off, leaving May behind.

"Ed! Oh, Ed! Huh, I wonder what scared him?"

Eddward and Eddy:

When the three boys named Ed had been fighting to rid Peach Creek of dire wolves, Eddward had lent a helping hand to his friend, Eddy.

"You really should try to be more careful, Eddy."

"Shut your mouth, hoodhead! I'll fight as much as I please!"

The shaman shook his head. "Honestly, between you and Ed, I don't know who is more over the line!'

"Well, at least Ed is doing something! All you do is pull out that book and say a few words!"

"I beg your pardon!" Eddward placed his hands on his hips. "Magic is extremely difficult; I've been practicing since I was little, and I _still_ don't have it exactly right!"

Eddy scoffed, "Pssh, you and your excuses. Forget about it; let's just go help Ed and Delilah!"

"Fine! But don't think this is over for one moment, mister!"


	5. Chapter 3: A Beast Named Honor

**Fire ED-blem: The Twilight Army**

By The Mauve Lantern

_Their journey over for now, Delilah and her friends, the three Ed boys, rested in a village called Delbrook. There, the young thief learned a little about the past of the boys she was accompanying from the leader, Eddy. Ed, while chasing a chicken through the streets, happened upon May, a young girl he had known from previous travels, who was being accosted by bandits; ever the gentleman, Ed challenged the bandits to a fight, and got his friends involved. In the fight, Eddward, a shaman, met a young archer named Nazz, who joined in the fight to free Delbrook. At the end of the day, the children stood victorious, and were offered hospice from the villagers._

_Now, the party will continue on their way to the capital, only to be met by a new, more dangerous enemy than ever before…_

**Chapter 3: A Beast Named Honor**

In the rocky kingdom of Woldor, the young prince Zuko watches from the balcony of his family's palace at the rising sun; he gazes at the amber sky, in all its majesty, with bitterness and cynicism. The lad's golden eyes are narrow like a hawk's, as though he were searching for some prey. Zuko is clad in a majestic, crimson, and flowing robe, with a light set of chainmail underneath; atop his head is the crown of the prince, shaped into that of a flame. His feet are free from the restraints of shoes, and he can feel the warmth of the castle in his bare toes. Sighing, Zuko is unsure whether or not it is honestly a good thing if he can feel anymore. A warm breeze from the east brushes his face, gently caressing the scarred half of the prince's face.

When he hears the noise of someone approaching, he swiftly spins around. "Who's there?!" he says a little too loudly.

"It's just me, young Zuko," his uncle, ex-General Iroh. Zuko sighs with relief; for a moment, he thought it had been someone else.

"My apologies, uncle; I thought you were another."

The old man merely offers a smile and a warm cup of tea. "I thought you might like some tea to start your day, Zuko." Iroh hands Zuko an ivory cup with gold trim, filled almost to the brim with a dark liquid that carries a pleasant fragrance.

With a wave of his hand, the crown prince turns down the cup of tea. "Thank you, uncle, but I don't feel up to it. Perhaps another time would be better."

"Is something the matter?"

"It…It's just that…_he_ returned."

"Aang, that young mage boy from Konohal?"

Zuko nods before returning his gaze to the horizon. He tells his uncle what happened the night before…

_Asleep in his royal chambers, Zuko is unaware of the uninvited guest that has shown up at his window until the prince is awoken by the sound of a rap upon the glass. He shoots from his bed and creeps over to the window, a steel sword clutched in his hand. With a trembling hand, he opens the window, only to find a young, bald boy wrapped in the red and yellow monk garb of his people. The smiling boy has a staff by his side._

"_What do you want?!" he growls menacingly. Zuko never did like to be disturbed from his sleep._

"_I just wanted to talk," whispers Aang, the boy standing before him. "I need your help." Zuko does not set his sword down, nor does he lower it; Aang notices, however, that his grip has loosened, if only a little. "You will think I'm crazy, but I know there will be an attack on the Konohal capital. From who, I can't say; for now, I only ask for assistance from Woldor!"_

_The royal prince is shocked at how serious the young boy has become; ordinarily, he would be smiling, no matter the bad news he had to deliver. What was going to happen?_

"_You had another vision?"_

"_Yes. There's…some kind of dark army, more than some rebellion. This enemy might very well take Konohal."_

_Zuko turns his back on the boy and says, "I'm sorry; there is nothing I can do about this."_

"_But your father…"_

_Just as soon as he turns, Zuko spins around and holds his blade at Aang's throat. "Don't. Mention. My. FATHER!"_

"…_he has connections to Ryadina, as well as the most powerful army in the known WORLD! Zuko, PLEASE!"_

_The prince takes the sword from Aang's throat, but he retreats back into his bed chamber. "I said before: you will receive no help from Woldor!" he shouted before slamming the door to the balcony shut._

Iroh strokes his long, gray beard after hearing Zuko's story. It troubles him, as he knows that Aang's predictions have generally proven to have been true. Without the help of Woldor or Ryadina, Konohal was doomed; was there anyone that could stop this army?

***

"Eddy, you oaf! We're lost!"

"Quiet, Delilah! We're not lost; I'm just taking a detour!"

The thief Delilah and her party had been travelling for a couple of days now, without any signs of a village in sight. Naturally, tempers had begun to flare, mostly between the self-proclaimed leader and the actual master of the group. Delilah and Eddy had been at each others' throats a few hours after leaving Delbrook, arguing over where to proceed next on their journey. A vote amongst the party members found Eddy to be the leader (for now), and so they were making their way, however twisted the way.

Nazz, cool and level-headed as always, steps between the two before they can draw their blades. "Let's just try to relax, okay? Eddy, you wanted to go this way; how much longer do we have to travel?"

In response, Eddy gazes into the sky before saying, "Abouuuuuuuuuut…another league of travel, perhaps less."

She smiles and tells him, "Thank you, Eddy. Now, Delilah, can you go another league?"

The thief scoffs. "Yes, but I'm leading from here on out!"

"WHY?!"

"Because, Eddy, you have been taking us in circles!" Eddy growled at this statement, but knew that he deserved it more than anyone else. After all, they had spent a whole day trying to find the village of Berzerkya, which they should have happened upon by now.

***

Meanwhile, while the others walked down below on the ground, Ed sat atop May's winged horse, Marigold, and conversed with the young maiden.

"So, May," he started, "Why were you travelling all by your lonesome? Where are your sisters?"

"I can't seem to find them, dearest Ed: we were separated from each other when a horde of bandits attacked our home village. I've been searching the whole countryside for them, but there has not been a single sign of them." By now, soft tears have started to fall from her eyes. "There…there seems to be no hope in finding them."

Ed hesitantly reaches out his large hand and gently wipes the bitter water from her face. In a soothing voice, the boy says, "It will be all right, May, you'll see. We are going to find your sisters, and we shall all travel and perform in the towns of the world!"

May smiles, her eyes still wet with tears. "Thank you, Ed; thank you!"

***

Down on the ground, Delilah leads the party out of the woods and into a run-down village, possibly the victim of a bandit attack. There are a few huts left here and there, but it is largely barren, save for an old fortress, which looms over the tiny village. Everywhere, there are scattered remains of huts, and a few farm animals wander aimlessly, unsure of what to do.

Delilah quickly checks the village for any signs of life before asking, "This is the village you were talking about, Eddy? It's a ghost town!"

"This ain't right," the shorter boy mumbles, ignoring the leader. "When me an' the lads were here a couple of months ago, this was a bustling village, not unlike Delbrook!"

"Hmm…might there have been a bandit horde here?" Eddward asks, checking for any signs of a battle.

Nazz walks ahead of everyone else, and makes her way towards the ruins. "We're not going to find anything just by standing here. C'mon!" At her behest, the group moves in, Ed and May swooping in from above to join them. When they move towards the center of the town, they are stopped by a booming voice.

"HALT! Who dares to enter this village?" Stumbling forth from one of the remaining huts is a young man, perhaps a few years ahead of Delilah and her friends. He has bushy hair the color of the night sky, and a beard of the same color. Wrapped around his chest is a vest made from the fur of animals, nothing else; his arms burst from the holes in the side, and revealed to the world is his powerful chest. Below his waist is a pair of black pants, not unlike the kind that Ed wears. The boy's feet are encased by a pair of warm, furry boots. One hand is clutching his arm, which is stained with blood, and the other holds a large iron axe.

With a powerful voice, he asks, "Who are you that you trespass upon the land that belongs to Rolf's family?! Answer the son of a shepherd!"

Delilah steps forward, her hands out in the open so that Rolf will not suspect her of an attack. "I am Delilah, and these are my travelling companions: Ed the Mercenary Eddward the Shaman, Eddy the Thief, May the Pegasus Knight, and Nazz the Archer. We came here only for shelter for a while, before leaving; that is all!" She is nervous, and rightfully so. This man seems to have endured many battles, and he has a ferocious glint in his eyes.

After a moment of staring at the party, Rolf lowers his axe. "Forgive me," he mumbles, "Rolf has had to defend his village from many rogues these past weeks." As he walks over to the group, he stumbles and falls to his knees.

"Goodness!" exclaims Eddward, "Are you all right?"

With a grunt of pain, Rolf slowly rises to his feet. "Yes, thank you, Hooded-Ed-Boy; Rolf, the son of a shepherd is quite fine. Just a scratch."

"Here," Eddy tosses him a vulnerary, "Use this." The man gulps down the medicine in a second.

"Thank you."

Nazz helps Rolf to his feet. "Why are you still here, Rolf? Are there any survivors?"

"No," he replies gloomily, "Rolf is the only one left in Berzerknya, save for the animals that belonged to Papa and Mama. There is a duty the son of a shepherd must uphold: should the family be struck down, he must protect the animals from death. That is what the father of Rolf did, and that is what Rolf shall do!" He turns and beckons the others to follow him.

"Come. Rolf shall provide feed for your winged horse, Large-Teeth-May-Girl, and Delilah-Green-Hood may sleep in the fortress alongside her companions."

Delilah smiles in gratitude, thanking the poor farmer for putting them up for the night.

***

Not far from the village, behind a large crop of boulders, a large party of bandits lies in wait, preparing to storm what's left of the village, and take what they can get. These men have been attacking the town every week for over a year, but lately they only come once a month, due to the tenacity of the sole remaining villager. Tonight, however, they will strike that brat down and take the animals for food.

"A'righ', lads! Tonight, we take what we can get!" shouts the leader, Gengha. He is a large man who wields an even bigger axe. He is not one to be trifled with, as shown by the numerous battle wounds on his body. There is not a single hair on his head; instead, a large, X-shaped scar covers his scalp. The only scrap of clothing that he wears is a pair of trousers that were stolen from the nearby village. Everything about this man reeks of danger.

While his men grow excited, Gengha turns to the newest member of his gang and asks, "Oy, you ready ter fight?"

"…Yeah." The boy he speaks to his roughly twelve years of age, and skilled with riding. He has proven himself a capable fighter, and exceptional with a lance and sword. A green tunic, with red armor atop that, rests upon his chest, and he has a pair of black riding pants on. His short, red hair is covered by a small helmet, and he wears black boots upon his feet. He carries himself with a very apathetic attitude, not particularly caring what happens, so long as something rough happens.

"I'm serious, Kevin: if you squirrel out on us, I won't hesitate in having one of my boys kill ya!"

"Like you could!" the boy shouts in reply. The gang turns to see what the commotion is, only to be disappointed at the prospect of another argument between Kevin and Gengha.

The leader growls before turning back to his men. "Okay, boys, move out!"

***

"What's that?" asks Ed, peering out through a window in the old fortress.

By now, the group has made their way into the rough, battle-worn fortress, along with Rolf's animals. They will stay here for the night, assuming they do not encounter any enemies…

The son of a shepherd takes a look through the glass, and his face contorts into a scowl of hatred. "Wicked-Beast-Gangha, the man who slaughtered this village." Rolf turns from the window. He racks his brain in search of a plan, in hopes of a way to stop the destruction of what's left of his home.

"Let us help you," says Delilah, a hardened look in her eye, "We can fight alongside you."

"Many thanks, Delilah-Green-Hood, but Rolf would not want you and your happy-go-lucky friends to be injured just for the sake of his animals."

Nazz places a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder. "You don't need to worry about us, Rolf; we can hold our own."

"That's right, Stretch." Eddy saunters over to the group, a jug of wine in his hands. "Let us *hic!* help you!"

"We shall protect your chickens!" shouts Ed, his sword drawn for battle.

May holds her thumb up and says "Leave it to us!"

"Y-You can count on us…I hope…" Eddward mumbles, clutching his dark spell tome. His fingers drum along the top; he is more nervous than before. Can they win this fight? After all, they'll be cornered inside the fortress; it will be like gutting fish in a barrel!

When she notices Eddward's nervousness, Nazz delicately picks his hand up and holds it. At her touch, the young shaman loses all his nervousness. "Th-Thank you, Nazz…"

Her face lights up in a warm smile. "Anytime you need to calm down, just talk to me, Eddward."

At this time, Delilah claps her hands to get everyone's attention. "Okay, I've got a battle plan! Rolf: you, May, and I shall storm them out front, while Ed and Eddy stand guard here at the fortress. Eddward, you and Nazz shall provide attacks from behind Eddy and Ed; take your pick. When there doesn't appear to be any more bandits, save the boss, we shall call for you. Move out!" The group scattered, heading to their assigned places.

When Rolf runs outside and catches sight of his enemies, he growls like an untamed beast. He roars, "EULALIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" and charges headfirst into the fray…

***

Delilah starts the battle by heading for a large, ugly bandit who approaches her. When they come closer, the enemy smiles with a mouthful of crooked, yellowed teeth; it is all the thief girl can do to not vomit. Still, in spite of the enemy's appearance, she moves right in with an attack from the safety of the trees. Her combat expertise tells her that the branches and roots will provide a fine, make-shift shield from enemies' attacks.

She moves for a slash with her light sword, which connects with the bandit's chest; he howls in pain, and reels back a little. When he tries to fight back, however, his axe gets caught on a tree branch close to Delilah. With his axe stuck, he is left open to the girl's blade. He screams in pain for an instant, when she skewers him on the sword, and then grows silent. The man with ugly teeth slumps to the ground, blood pouring from his chest. Delilah pauses for a second, looks at the corpse, and then spits on it, cursing the man.

***

Rolf, meanwhile, has attracted the attention of three large men, all of them armed with axes and other tools. The men who surround him are fairly tall, perhaps slightly taller than the son of a shepherd, but this does not bother him at all. In fact, he welcomes this challenge.

"Well, well," chuckles one bandit, "What 'ave we 'ere?"

"Looks like he's the last one 'ere!" howls another.

"I betcha he's the one what's got the farm animals!" the third one giggles in excitement.

Rolf grips his iron axe. "You shall not." He whispers this so that the men can hardly hear him.

"Shall not what?"

"SHALL NOT TAKE THIS LAND!!!" With that, Rolf charges forward, digging deep into the first bandit's body with his axe, nearly chopping the man in half. His blood splatters across the farmer, but he does not stop there. Before the others can react, Rolf has leapt at the third man, and relieves him of his cranium. This time, a fountain of flood sprays forth, showering Rolf in the man's life force.

In the eyes of the last bandit, the fighter has become a demon; dropping his weapon, he begins begging for his life. "No mercy for you," Rolf growls before bringing his axe down into the man's head, breaking it like a ripe melon.

The three men disposed of in a moment, the son of a shepherd does not stop to rest. Gangha is on the other side of the village, and it is there that the two of them will fight to the death…

***

"Versammlung, dunkle Kräfte! FLUX!"

VOOSH! The shadows surrounding Eddward gather into a rough sphere before melting into the floor and reappearing in front of Ed, finishing off the bandit that had dared to make his way to the fortress.

"Nice shot, Eddward!" shouts Ed, who is holding his sword at ready, prepared for the next opponent.

"Thank you, Ed!"

Eddy calls to his friends from across the asylum. "Hey, Ghostface! I need your help!"

Eddward looks around and asks, "Where's Nazz?"

"She went outside to snipe down enemies from behind a boulder. Give me a hand!"

Eddward runs across the way, making sure to avoid the stray chicken that has made its way out of the pen. He makes it just in time to cast another Flux spell on a bandit that Eddy has mortally wounded.

"I do hope Nazz is all right!" Edd bemoans.

"Eh, she'll be fine." Eddy chuckles in mirth. "It's the enemy that should worry!" As if to prove his point, a guttural howl of agony reaches the boys' ears. They poke their heads outside, to find an arrow-riddled corpse, with Nazz waving to the boys as she moves along to another hiding spot.

***

As Kevin rides through the village on his horse, Epona, his eyes catch sight of an arrow heads right for his arm. Swiftly maneuvering, he avoids the projectile and immediately rides in that direction, hoping to find the archer. The young cavalier spins his sword in his hand, ready for combat.

"Oh no!" Nazz tries to notch another arrow before the enemy engages her, but there is not enough time; within a few seconds, a cavalier is upon her, his sword drawn. Instinctively, the girl with golden hair covers herself with arms in an attempt to protect herself. She waits for the strike to come, but it does not.

"You're a girl?" asks the bandit. Hesitantly, Nazz nods. Grumbling, the cavalier sheathes his sword. "I don't fight girls. I told the boss this, but he wouldn't listen!" He turns his horse and says, to no one in particular, "This has gone on for too long. I have my honor, after all; I can't keep fighting for that pig."

Grabbing onto the horses saddle, Nazz prevents him from riding off. "Wait! Before you go," she asks, "Would you help us to fight him?"

"Gladly," the cavalier replies, a blush creeping onto his face. "I'm Kevin, by the way."

"Nazz." She extends her hand into a handshake, and Kevin picks her up and puts her onto Epona's back.

"Can you ride and fire?" he asks as Epona whinnies a little.

His companion nods, and giggles a little. "Let's go!" she shouts, and the two ride into the thick of the fight, picking off the bandits one by one.

***

The battle carried on for a short while longer: Ed had moved out of the fortress, leaving Eddy and Eddward to protect the animals, and joined May on the battlefield; with their combined might, they took out every bandit and mercenary that came their way. Delilah had fallen back, due to injury, and was resting in the iron fortress to recover her strength. And while Nazz and Kevin joined forces to wipe out any other enemies, Rolf slowly made his way through the ruins to his target, Gengha.

Finally, the only remaining enemy is the leader himself, who stands ready for the son of a shepherd, who drinks a vulnerary before rushing the vicious bandit.

"You think you can stop me, whelp? Then you shall die with this village!" Gengha howls with a mix of laughter and with rage. To think that his men could all be taken out by a bunch of children! They will pay dearly for this…

"Enough talk," Rolf growls, blood coating his body as though he had swum through a lake of the sticky liquid, "Now, Rolf challenges Savage-Bandit-Gengha to a honor duel!"

The two combatants raise their axes to the heavens for a moment, praying to their respective gods for strength in the battle. Once they have finished, the men lock eyes and charge at each other, their axes swinging about. These are fighters with the capabilities of slaughtering a small army; for them to fight is to have the very ground tremble beneath them.

When Nazz sees the duel, she pats Kevin on the shoulder. "We have to go over and help our friend Rolf, Kevin!"

"We can't," the cavalier replies as he wipes his blade clean on a ragged cloth that hangs from his belt, "He is locked in a honor duel with Gengha; only the death of the boss will let us near him."

"But we have to help him!"

"There's nothing we can do."

Ed stands at attention, ready for any other enemies to come. "Don't worry about it, Ed," May tells him, "There is no one coming."

"Still, we have to do what we can while Rolf fights." The young man sets his sword down. "We have to be there, in case any reinforcements appear!"

Locked in the duel, Rolf has suffered a good deal of damage to his body; he can barely stand, the agony is so great. The fighter will not back down, as he knows that there is more to this fight than just his life. His father is with him, even now, and so is his mother; the old medicine man, who would let Rolf play with his chickens; his little sister Risa, who is buried in what was their house; Ulrich, his friend who had taught him how to fight in the first place. All of the people in the village appeared in his mind, and the son of a shepherd knew that he could not die. Summoning all his strength, the man spins through the air and brings his axe down deep into Gengha's chest, ending the fight.

His opponent spews blood from his mouth before saying, "Y-You…how did you?" Gengha falls on his back, the life gone from his body.

The battle finished, Rolf falls on his back and gazes out into the setting sun. For an instant, he can see the villagers again, smiling at him and beckoning him. "Follow us, Rolf," they are saying. The son of a shepherd shakes his head. "No," he tells them, "I cannot go yet. There is still much to do here. Forgive me; I must stay here for a while longer."

***

The next morning, Rolf placed a new fur vest on, and placed his boots upon his feet. From outside, Kevin calls to him. "Rolf! Hurry, or we'll leave without you!"

"Rolf is coming, Red-Haired-Kevin-Boy!" Before he departs from his hut, the young man casts one last look upon the small, wooden cross in the center of the structure. It is in memorial of the villagers, lest anyone forget what transpired here. Without shedding a tear, Rolf places a hand on the cross. "Rolf shall do you proud, o ancestors. You shall not be disappointed." He rejoins the group outside, and they set out along the road, Rolf's animals in tow.

"So, Rolf," Delilah asks, "What are you going to do with them?"

"Rolf shall give them to a farmer he knows in a nearby city. Come; follow the son of a shepherd!" He lifts his axe into the air and charges ahead, Ed and Kevin following close behind. The others smile and follow from a distance.

***

Name: Rolf

Class: Fighter

Level: 5

***

Name: Kevin

Class: Cavalier

Level: 4


	6. Chapter 4: Fear Itself

**Fire ED-blem: The Twilight Army**

By The Mauve Lantern

_While traveling with her new companions, Delilah wandered into an abandoned village that was home to a fighter by the name of Rolf. He was the sole survivor of his village, and had been protecting his family's livestock from slaughter at the hands of bandits. These bandits came later in the evening, but they were all defeated by Delilah and her friends. During the battle, Nazz the archer recruited Kevin, a cavalier, to the party. _

_Now, they are on the road once again, and this time, they will be trekking through the treacherous "Konohal Swamp", where fearsome creatures are said to lurk…_

**Chapter 4: Fear Itself**

"I think it's safe to say that we are lost, Eddy!"

Delilah and her band of followers, which had grown in the past few days, are once again on the move, this time in search of a city. At the moment, however, the party is surrounded by swamplands, much to the disgust of other members of the group. The swamp has a foul stench, reeking of dead, bloated corpses and spilt blood; the trees all grow close together, blocking out the sun and creating a perpetual twilight. Even the earth is rancid here, morphing into some sort of sickening mud, which clings to the travelers' clothing like paste.

Naturally, this does not sit well with Kevin, the most impulsive member of the group. "You twerp, I told you we were going the wrong way!"

"Listen, you dastard," Eddy spun around, his scarf spraying flecks of mud around, "You don't get to criticize my sense of direction! I've been travelling these lands since I was a lad, and I know where I'm going! It is just a detour through the Konohal Swamps, that's all."

"Swamps?" May, who has been confined to the ground since her pegasus cannot fly under such conditions, cringes a little. "Aren't there monsters in the swamps?"

"Don't worry about it, May!" Nazz wraps an arm around May's shoulders and pulls her close. "If any monsters come, we can take 'em out!"

The pegasus knight smiled and says, "Thanks, Nazz."

While the others chatter and go on about trivial things like who is better at swordplay or whoever has a higher resistance to magic, Eddward, ever studious and observant of his environment, notices a foul odor in the air. His nose crumples as he sniffs the air around him, and the shaman pulls the collar of his robe up so that it covers most of his face. "Saints above," he says to no one in particular, "what is that horrific smell?!"

Rolf tilts his head to the sky and takes a long whiff of the stench. "This air, it is cloaked with the heavy stench of rotting earth and dying plants," the young fighter growls as he clenches his fists. "It is the stink of death, hooded Ed boy."

"D-D-Death?"

"Yeh, and it will only get worse with time. Truly, we are in the heart of the Konohal Swamps."

"What is so special about the swamps, Delilah?" Ed asks as he bounces ahead and places his head atop the leader's shoulder.

"These are foul lands where only poisonous plants and dangerous creatures appear; it's said that this is also a dumping ground for the bodies of criminals, beggars, and slain victims of crime." Delilah put a hand up, and everyone stopped moving; they knew that when she raised her hand, she wanted them to hold still while she thought of a plan.

At last she tells her companions what they shall do. "All right, ladies, gentlemen and Eddy," she says, "here's what we'll do: we're going to go through the swamp as quickly as possible. That means that there will be little to no rests, and we must avoid combat at all costs!"

"What about wild animals?"

"Those, Kevin, you may fight only if they attack you first."

"Hey, that dire wolf was looking at me funny!"

Delilah ignores the cavalier and continues. "If we run into any bandits, we shall, of course, defeat them, assuming that there is no other way around the situation. Does that sound good with everybody?"

Ed raises his hand to ask a question. "Um, Delilah?"

"Yes, Ed?"

"What about lepers?"

"What about them?"

"Should we talk to them? Because there's one over there that looks like he needs help." The other party members turn their heads in the direction that Ed is looking in, and sure enough, there is a ragged figure stumbling towards them.

"Goodness! We should go help whoever that is!" Eddward begins to walk over to the figure, but is stopped by Rolf's outstretched arm. "Rolf, what are you doing?! We need to go help that person!"

The farmer shakes his head and growls. "Look again, Ed boy."

Upon closer inspection, the figure is, though vaguely humanoid, much more monstrous in appearance. Its skin is mottled and gray, and there are patches of flesh missing from various parts of its body. There is no clothing on the creature save for a pair of blue pants that are ragged and torn all over. On its head is crude and ugly hair that seems wet, and it fell into its hideous face in a most sickly fashion. It has only one eyeball, and there is a hole where the other should have been; the one eye it does have gleams with hunger and craving.

"Euuuuch!" Eddy pretends to gag. "What is that ugly thing?!"

"Maybe it's your mother?"

"Now's not the time, Kevin!"

"Sorry, Delilah!"

All the travelers grip their weapons in anticipation, and Delilah calls out to the creature, "Who are you? What do you want?" The thing does not reply, but it lumbers forward again, just a little bit closer to the party.

"I'll ask again," she shouts, "Who are you and what do you want?!"

This time, the creature responds with a deep, guttural growl. "EeeeEWeeeEeeRRrrrRRrrrrahhhHHggGGGahahhaha!" The noise bursts out of the beast's foul mouth, which is filled with rows of jagged, yellow teeth that blood pours out from. It suddenly charges forward with great speed and knocks Eddy away with a crack of his whip-like arms, sending the shorter boy flying away.

Delilah screams, "Eddy!" and then dashes forward and cuts into the creature's stomach with her iron sword, leaving a deep gash in the rotten flesh. It howls in agony and attempts to grab the thief girl with its arms, but they are lopped off by a swing of Rolf's axe.

"Die, thou rotten beast from hell!" he shouts as he slices the monster from head to foot with a mighty swing of his axe. The creature collapses in a sick pile with dark, tar-like blood gushing forth from the rotten corpse. This blood covers Rolf, who sniffs his soiled clothing and gags.

"This beast," he announces to the group, "was once human. The son of a shepherd does not know what could have the power to do something like this, but there might be others like this."

Eddward, who has just emptied the contents of his lunch onto the swampland, rises with help from Nazz. "O-o-o-other mons-st-st-st-strosities like that one?" When Rolf nods grimly, the shaman falls back to the ground and continues to retch horrifically.

As Delilah helps Eddy to his feet, the short boy asks, "Di…Did you get the name of the bum what hit me, love?"

"That wasn't a horse and carriage, Eddy; it was an undead human."

"Whazzat mean?"

"It means that we are leaving as fast as we can."

From deep within the woods there is a hideous howl. It is joined by others, and soon, the entire forest is filled with the agonizing sounds. The howls die down in time, but the worst is yet to come…

***

"Sarah, what was that noise?!"

In a small, tribal village at the center of the swamp, two children are cowering in a hut made from clay. They are small, perhaps the same age, and they are clutching each other in terror. The children, a boy and a girl, are lying on a mat made from the leaves of an old tree, and, though it isn't very comfortable, it beats having to sleep in the forest all alone.

The boy is small and weak, and he is clad in a flowing, white robe that has turquoise blue designs around the edges. He has curly, blonde hair that is held above his face with the aid of a white ring of metal wrapped around his forehead. His pale blue eyes are wide with terror, and his pale, thin body trembles with fear so that he cannot grab hold of his healing staff.

His companion, Sarah, is scared as well, although she is very different from her friend. While the boy is weak, Sarah is strong, and this shows with her tanned arms that show lithe muscles running up and down her bicep. She is wearing a pale, rose-colored vest that shows her arms off, blue harem pants that are made from fine silk and red slippers that have been ruined by the thick mud of the forest.

"I don't know, Jimmy," Sarah replies as she pulls back her red hair behind her head, "but I'm going to find out!" She lets go of her friend with great effort and then grabs an slim sword that is lying against the wall of the hut. The fiery-haired girl turns back to Jimmy and smiles confidently. "I'll be back!" she shouts before running out of the hut in the direction of the shrieking.

Jimmy clutches the healing stave close to his chest and pulls his knees in close. "Hurry back, Sarah," he whispers as the candlelight in the cabin begins to cast eerie shadows upon the walls of the hut.

***

In the shadows of the tall trees, grotesque creatures begin to lurk about, shambling ever closer to Delilah and her party. Eddy can see these monsters clearly, and he whispers, "Guys, I don't think we're gonna get out of here as quick as we thought."

Kevin mounts his horse and readies his iron lance. "Say the word, Delilah, and we'll charge right through these freaks."

"Wait, Kevin!" Nazz puts her arm up to hold the boy back. "There's someone coming through the trees! Someone that's alive!"

A fiery-haired girl bursts out of the undergrowth and dashes toward the group, slightly panting from having to fight off several of the undead. She looks about the group and says, "Travelers, you must go back! The swamp's been overrun by these monsters and- Ed? Ed, is that you?"

Ed smiles broadly and then embraces the girl in a bone-crushing hug as he shouts, "BABY SISTER! Where have you been?! I've been ever-so-worried about you and Jimmy!"

"Well, you shouldn't have left us in the middle of nowhere while you went off with your friends!" Sarah pulls out of her brother's hug and then jabs him in the face with the hilt of her sword many times over. "This is for making Mother worry! This is for leaving Father's shop! This is for leaving Jimmy and I out in some rotten little town! And this is for not having the decency to even TRY and look for us!" Ed collapses to the ground with a bloody wound imprinted on his forehead.

After kicking her brother a few more times in the chest, Sarah looks up at the group and smiles. "I'm Sarah, Ed's sister. And I- EDDY?!"

"Hell and damnation!" Like his friend, Eddy is mauled by the savage girl, who whacks the short thief across the head with the hilt of her scabbard. Acting quickly, Delilah tears Sarah away from her companion and pins her arms behind her back.

"Let me go!" the girl screams.

"Not until you calm down," the leader replies.

Sarah begins to breathe heavily in an attempt to vent her anger until she spots a certain spell-caster standing behind Rolf in fear. She smiles again and slips out of Delilah's grasp before leaping through the air and pouncing on Eddward. "Hi Eddward!" she exclaims excitedly as she wraps her arms around the shaman's neck. "I missed you the most!"

"Th-th-that's nice, Sarah…"

Before the air could be strangled out of the boy, Rolf pulls Sarah away and held her by her collar. "Ed boys, you know this girl?"

"Of course we do!" Eddy crawls off the ground and scowls. "She's Ed's sister, and we accidentally lost her when we went off from one town to another."

"I oughta wring you dry for that, you creep!"

To avoid another fight, Eddward gets between the two of them. "Sarah, please!" he cries. "We're very sorry we left you behind when we went traveling, and I realize that there's no way for any of us to make it up to you, but now is not the time for this!"

Sarah then looks about her and notices that the undead have begun to creep ever closer. "Listen," she says in a sharp voice, "I have a friend down in an abandoned village down south of here. He can't fight, and I need someone to come with me to get him. Who'll go?"

May raises her hand. "I'll take you, Sarah!" The blonde girl helps Sarah onto the saddle of her Pegasus, and then flies off through the air in the direction of the village.

"Good. Now that that's settled, here's the plan." Delilah draws her sword and shifts her gaze towards the south end of the woods. "Ed: you and Rolf will be our rear-guard, so it's up to you two to protect us. Edd and Nazz, you two stay close and follow Eddy. Kevin and I will charge ahead. Now move!"

***

As the zombies close in around the party, Ed and Rolf charge forward and engage two of the undead enemies in combat. Ed brings up his iron sword and swings it in a wide arc, cleaving off the hand of the monster in front of him. The beast howls in agony and strikes at Ed's chest with both arms, sending him back a few feet.

"Whew!" The mercenary laughs as he gets back on his feet. "These guys might be a bit tough, eh, Rolf?"

"So long as they die and you live," the fighter says as he drives the blade of his axe into the head of his opponent, releasing a fountain of tar-like blood, "It matters not if you are hit. Keep fighting, Ed boy!"

"Sir, yes SIR! Oh, Rolf, look out!"

An arrow whizzes by Rolf's ear barely missing his head. The shepherd growls and looks into the trees, spying the enemy that dared to attack him. It is a skeleton, clad only in broken, blue armor, its bones bleached from being in the sun and an iron bow clutched in its hand.

Rolf growls and clutches a small axe that is thrust into his belt. He removes the small axe and hurls it at the skeleton, and the axe returns to his hands. The shepherd throws the weapon once more, and the skeleton's body is destroyed, its bones scattered and broken.

"There," Rolf mutters as he deftly catches his hand axe. "Move on, Ed boy, or you will be lost!"

Ed stands there for a moment, bewildered, and then smiles and runs ahead with his sword by his side. "Onward to victory!" he shouts loudly.

***

CRUNCH!

Kevin pulls his lance out of the chest of the slain undead before him and turns to Delilah. "That makes three for me so far," he says. "How many have you taken out, love?"

"Firstly, Kevin," the thief girl shouts as she shoves her sword through the skull of an undead, "just because Eddy calls me that, and he shouldn't, does not give you permission to do so. And secondly, this is not a contest; this is a battle."

"Right, I apologize."

"…but if you must know, it's been two."

"I knew it!"

***

Once Delilah had told them to split up, Eddy guided Eddward and Nazz to the nearest cluster of undead. "All right," he had shouted, "these guys don't look too tough, so try not to get yer arses swarmed by these creeps! Nazz, you get into this tree here and Ghost-face and I'll protect you!"

"Eddy, I don't think-"

"No time for that, Eddward, let's go!"

That was five minutes ago. Since then, several undead have swarmed around the tree where Nazz is perched, and Eddward and Eddy have been forced to take each and every blow to keep the archer safe. Eddy had been fortunate enough to dodge most of the attacks that came his way, but Eddward, who was not so physically adept, had been beaten to within an inch of his life. From toe to head, the boy was covered with injuries: there were deep gashes in his chest from where an undead had grabbed him and torn into his torso; his arms felt numb and lifeless, as blood streamed down them in rivers.

"E…Eddy…" he gasps for air, the life draining from his body, "I…I can…can't go on like this…"

"Just hang on, Eddward! I'm gonna get you some help!" his shorter friend shouts as he slices off the head of another undead.

Eddward readies himself and casts his spell. ""Ve…Verrsamm…lung…dunkle…Kräfte!" FLUX!" The shadows of the swamp twist and contort into a ball of darkness that implodes onto the undead before the shaman, leaving the path open for another undead.

The shaman almost says, "Oh-" before the undead grabs him by the head and slams him into the ground.

"EDDWARD!" Nazz shouts the boy's name from the treetop, hoping against hope that he survived. There is, however, no motion in his body, and Eddward has not gotten up from the mossy ground. "No," she whispers, tears welling up in her eyes.

"NAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She screams as hard as she can, but it does not bring Eddward back to life; he is dead. Through her tears, Nazz observes the undead, who is tearing away at the shaman's cloak to get to the body's flesh. "Die, you horrible demon!" The arrow she fires pierces the creature's brain, making it stop in its tracks and collapses.

When Eddy sees his friend fall, he shouts, "Damnation!" and tears his sword through the chest of the undead before him. The creature dies, but Eddy runs over to Eddward's body, which Nazz is now cradling in her arms. He tries to say something, but the next enemy appears. The thief curses and blocks his fallen comrade's body.

"No mercy, you godless scum!" Eddy cleaves through the monster's arm and delivers a spinning kick to its abdomen.

As the tears flow down Nazz's face and fall onto Eddward's body, a cold wind blows in through the swamp and rustles the black cloak of the fallen shaman. The wind spins around his body, and there is a black light that emanates from Eddward's head. This light grows with intensity until it blinds Nazz. When she opens her eyes, she is no longer holding onto Eddward; he is standing before her, eyes shut and hood pulled back, revealing a black tattoo of an eye on his forehead.

"E-Eddward?" Nazz asks, but he does not respond. Suddenly, his eyes burst open and he holds his hands forward.

"Ego sum fio Nex!" he shouts, and a black mist seeps out from his palms and devours the undead that Eddy is fighting. It eats through the rotten flesh and the oozing blood, the yellowed bones and the sickly pale muscles. The mist devours the entire beast, leaving nothing else. When the mist recedes into his hands once more, Eddward collapses, a trickle of blood coming from his head.

Nazz catches him this time, and she pulls a vulnerary from her pouch. "What are you, Eddward?" she asks as she tips the healing liquid to the boy's lips.

***

While the battle rages on below, four travelers, high atop a cliff, arrive and take in the spectacle. The travelers are intrigued and curious, so they observe the various fights that are happening down below.

"What is this?" a fighter clad in a fancy white shirt with red trim asks as he places his axe at his side.

The archer next to him replies, "I believe it's a battle. You see, when a group of people hate another group of people, they-"

"I know what a fight is, you prick."

"Paul, Warren, will you two please shut your mouths for one second!?" The leader of the party, a slender mage with messy red hair, slaps his friends across the back of their heads. "I'm trying to see what's going on down there!"

"Wait, Pat!" The second mage, a girl with lavender hair that reaches to her back, opens her map and learns of the group's location. "We're in the Konohal Swamps!"

"What are the Konohal Swamps, Tinny?"

"The merchant that gave us this map said that they were cursed! Come on, we should help them out!"

Paul, the archer, sighs. "Why should we help random strangers?"

"Because," Warren says, "it's the right thing to do, and they also might know of a way for us to return to our home!"

The group pauses for a moment in thought, and then Warren shouts, "Well, what're we waiting for!?"

"A proper way down," Pat mutters. "That hill is just too steep. We'll risk injury if we should try to run down it."

Tinny looks about her until she finds a path that is covered with logs and overgrown roots. "This path looks like it leads down there! We'll go this way!"

Pat wraps Tinny in a hug and says, "Tinny, you're a genius! Everyone, this way!"

Warren runs after the two mages shouting, "For the glory of Jugdral!"

As his friends run down the forgotten path, Paul breathes a heavy sigh and looks to the heavens. "Why do I feel a sense of déjà vu?"

***

May flew as fast as she could through the swamp in an effort to avoid engaging any of the undead in combat, and she managed to reach the edge of the village before she was attacked by a skeleton wielding a rusty lance. Now she engages the monster in combat, and shouts to her passenger, "Sarah! I'll hold off the skeleton; you go get your friend!"

"Okay!" The red-haired girl leaps to the ground and avoids tripping over a giant tree root as she runs to the old village. Sarah, after kicking an undead away from the door of the hut, bursts in and says, "Jimmy!"

"Sarah!"

The two friends embrace, and then Sarah pulls away and tells her friend, "I found my idiot brother. It turns out that he's been traveling all this time, and he's got some powerful friends now!"

"Gosh!" the boy exclaims. "Are they going to be all right?"

"I think so, but we could use your healing magic."

"I-I'll do my best!"

The two run outside in time to witness May driving a lance through the skull of the skeleton, and then panting from exhaustion. She looks over to Jimmy. "You're a healer, right?" she asks. When Jimmy nods, she says, "I'd like you patch up my pegasus. He got scratched by that lance, and I'd like him to be healed, please."

"Of course!" Jimmy holds his healing staff aloft and begins to utter a chant. "Luap si daed! I deirub luap! Uoy ahcteb!" A soft blue light springs forth from the gem at the staff's tip and engulfs the winged horse's hind leg. In a moment, the wound is healed and the horse is whinnying in happiness.

May pets Marigold's mane and says, "It looks like the rest of the group is gathering near that small island up ahead. I can't carry two people, so I hope you guys don't mind walking."

"No worries," Sarah tells the pegasus knight. "We'll be right with you!"

"Good! Let's go!"

***

In time, the group found the number of undead dwindling, and soon, there was only one left. This one, however, was different: it was much larger, and had rotting flesh that revealed black muscles underneath; there were no lips around its mouth, giving it the appearance of a shark. It remained rooted in one spot, and did not attack the oncoming challengers, who were all looking a little exhausted.

Delilah and Kevin had managed to clear a path through the swamp, but now they were both injured greatly; Delilah felt like her arms would go numb at any moment. Nazz and Eddy were both worse for the wear, and they were still carrying Eddward's unconscious body, which had recovered slightly thanks to the vulnerary he had received earlier. The only ones that were still good to fight were Ed, Rolf, Sarah and Jimmy.

"Stay out of this, baby sister!" Ed shouts as he and Rolf charge forward to attack the monster. "Big brother shall show you how this is done!"

"Begone, vile scourge of the earth!" The two boys swing their weapons at the reverant, and though they manage to cut into the beast, they only do a small amount of damage to its armor-like skin. In retaliation, the reverant swings its tree trunk-like arms at the two, sending them crashing into the swamp.

Sarah growls. "No one does that to my idiot brother except me!" She dashes forward and pulls her sword from its hilt. In the blink of an eye, she delivers over a dozen slashes to the beast's body and puts her blade away again. There is a pause before black blood spurts out of the wounds it has received, and the revenant splits into several pieces that collapse onto the swamp floor.

"Well," Eddy says as he dumps Eddward onto the ground and takes note of all the undead body parts lying around, "I doubt this place will be smelling like roses any time soon!"

"Come!" Rolf begins to gather together the body parts. "If we wish to cleanse this land of its evil, we must burn the pieces!"

There is an awkward silence until Kevin says, "That's just wrong, my friend; that's simply wrong."

***

Once the undead bodies have been burnt into ashes, the group reassembles on the isle where they fought the revenant. Delilah sizes up Jimmy and Sarah by staring at them heavily. "Well," she says, "you can fight. And we could always use a healer."

"Are we going with you, Miss Delilah?" asks Jimmy.

She smiles. "I think we can make some space!"

Everyone smiles and gathers around the new recruits. Praise and congratulations are passed around until another party of travelers arrives. The leader, or what looks to be the leader, is a thin, yet muscular, mage, and he is accompanied by another mage, an archer, and a fighter. "Hail, fellow travelers!" the leader says. "We came to help you in battle, but we took longer coming down the slope than we thought. Our apologies!"

"Um, who are you?" Delilah asks.

"I am Pat, miss, and these are my friends Tinny, Warren and Paul."

"How come I'm introduced last?"

"No one cares about the archer!" Warren laughs at his own joke, though no one else does.

"That's not true!" Nazz and Paul shout at the same time.

Pat turns to Delilah and asks, "By chance, miss, have you heard of a land known as Jugdral?"

"Can't say that it's familiar…"

A frown crosses Pat's face. "Oh, I see." He sighs, and turns to his friends. "I'm sorry, we must be going. May you have good fortune, all of you!" The travelers disappear just as quickly as they had arrived.

Eddward asks, "Honestly, what are the odds of meeting another group of travelers out here?"

"Seems like fate, Eddward." Delilah takes a drink from the vulnerary in her pack and then says, "We're leaving now, let's go!"

"Where are we going, Delilah?" asks Ed.

"To the capital of Konohal, my friend! Onward to Eden!"

NEW RECRUITS:

Name: Sarah

Class: Apprentice (can upgrade to either Thief or Myrmidon)

Level: 3

---

Name: Jimmy

Class: Student (can become Priest or Monk)

Level: 2

_**DISCLAIMER: **_Warren, Tinny, Paul and Pat belong to KitsuneWarrior9999. Thank you for being so patient.__


	7. Chapter 5: O Sister, Where Art Thou?

_After getting lost within the dark depths of the Konohal Swamp, Delilah and her party of friends encountered undead monsters that rose from the very ground. They did battle these beasts and, during the fight, they were met by Ed's younger sister, Sarah and her friend, Jimmy. Together, the young band of travelers bested the monsters, and they made their way out of the swamplands safe and secure._

_Now they march onward to the cornerstone of Konohal, Eden, but first, they shall have to pass through the border, where a new enemy has appeared…_

**Chapter 5: O Sister, Where Art Thou?**

Deep in the pine forests of Konohal there was a large fort being constructed. The walls were higher than a man could climb, and if he did, the top was covered in spikes, making entry from above impossible. Behind the wall, there was a camp, where the soldiers kept their armor, weapons, and rations. There was a tent for the commander, who was outside perusing the fortress. It was made entirely of wood so far, but Commander Jacquel had high hopes for this construct. If all went according to plan, he would receive that promotion he had craved, and then he would be leading the army to power and glory.

A soldier in the traditional armor walked up to him. "Sir," the knight said, "we are escorting the arsonist to the stake. You are needed for the execution."

"Of course," he replied in his gruff voice. "I shall be down momentarily." When the soldier left him, the commander gazed out around him. The trees in the surrounding area had all been cut down, so has to avoid a surprise attack from any opposing force.

"This is perfect," he muttered, "absolutely perfect. The princess has no chance of getting by us now!"

The commander walked down the ramparts and down the stairs to the ground, where the soldiers were leading a prisoner to the stake to be burned. This boy was guilty of attempting to destroy Fort Jacqual, and would be put to death.

As he was led to his death, the boy was shouting bloody murder. "You killed him! You killed my brother! I'll strike you down, do ye hear?! I'll slay you myself, Jacqual!" He was in hysterics, but the commander did not heed the boy's threats. Indeed, he was almost laughing at the poor child as he was put against the stake and tied to the wooden post.

"You pompous Lorax! Do you honestly believe that you can defeat the might of the Twilight Army all by yourself?" Commander Jacqual got right up into the boy's face. "I destroyed the village that was here and built this fortress myself! The world is mine, do you hear me?! Mine!"

He turned to the guard who held the torch. "End this. NOW." The guard nodded and walked behind the boy.

Once behind the prisoner, the guard whispered, "Listen, kid, when I say "Death awaits you," you use your magic to get out."

"Why are you helping me?" the boy asked.

"Because I'm getting sick and tired of hearing Jacqual go on and on about how he will conquer the world. Now, do you want my help or not?" The boy made a sign with his hands that meant "Yes". "Okay, ready? DEATH AWAITS YOU!"

When the guard said those words, the prisoner tore out of his confines and shouted, "Fuego!" A ball of fire was summoned forth and cast into the crowd of soldiers, allowing him to run the other way and out the southern door, which had been left open slightly.

Jacqual growled in his fury. "No!" he shouted. "After him!" A small band of soldiers chased after the boy, leaving a good number in the fort. "As for you," he hissed at the guard who had helped the prisoner escape, "what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Sorry, sir! The bonds must have been too loose!"

"Damn you, woman! How dare you insult me!" He struck the side of the guard's helmet with the flat side of his blade, knocking her to the ground and sending her helmet flying. She was young and had a very tough face, like a wizened soldier. Her red hair was very curly and abundant, and almost blocked her eyes from view. A white bandana was wrapped around her head.

She put a stern look on her face. "My apologies, Commander." When she said "Commander," she had said it with the most disgust she could muster. Jacqual stormed back to his tent to make plans to improve the security of the fortress, leaving the guard all alone. She picked up her lance and headed to her place on the ramparts. How much longer could she take being under that fool's rule?

***

Meanwhile, a similar question was running through Kevin's mind as he rode through the forest with his companions. How much longer was that pain-in-the-neck Eddy going to go on about his exploits as a scam artist?

"And so, thinking quickly, Hood-head and Lumpy hoisted me up and I leaped over the gate and let out my chums by picking the lock! Yes sir, you just can't keep the Amazing Garbanzo Brothers in prison!" Eddy was polishing his knives continuously as he told story after story. It seemed that no one else minded except for Kevin and Delilah, but they had their own reasons for not liking the story.

"Will you pipe down, you little twit?" asked a frustrated Kevin.

"I can't believe you have any acrobatic skills!" exclaimed Delilah.

"Oh yeah? I'll show you! Soon as we reach Eden, I'll give ya a show unlike any yet!"

Eddward hunched over when Eddy said this. "Dear lord, my poor back!" he cried. Nazz laughed and walked alongside him, helping him to straighten back up. She had been concerned about him since the battle in the swamp, and she wanted to make sure he didn't get hurt again. An image of the powerful Eddward flickered through her mind like a nightmare, and she shuddered. What was that dark power she felt? It certainly was not human. What kind of a secret was Eddward hiding? He would tell them on his own time.

Up above, in the sky, May flew on her winged horse with Ed, who was toting Sarah in his powerful arms, despite initial protests from the little girl. They were chatting excitedly, the three of them, until Ed asked, "May, where are your sisters? The last time we saw you, you were tight as could be!"

The blonde girl grew melancholy at the mention of her sisters. Sarah slapped her brother across the head for asking such a question. "My sisters and I…" she whispered, "…we were split up when a small army ravaged our town. They killed our father and our mothers. Marie went off to hunt them down, while Lee went missing. I decided that it would be best to find some powerful people to aid me in fighting them."

"Who were they?" asked Sarah.

"They called themselves "The Twilight Army". I'll never forget what their leader looked like. He was emotionless and did not care at all that there were people dying all around him! All I remember is the scar across his face…but I will find him and make him pay for what he did!"

Ed put a comforting hand on May's shoulder as she cried and Sarah wrapped her arms around the girl and hugged her. A cry from the forest shook them from their sadness.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" It sounded like a young boy. May turned Marigold and had her dive down into the trees. They soon found a young boy surrounded by three soldiers. The boy looked up at Ed and the others and smiled.

"Thank goodness! Help me, please!" he exclaimed. He appeared to have been badly beaten.

"Don't you worry, wee one! I shall avenge you!"

"He's not dead, you oaf."

The children split up and took on one soldier each. Ed quickly slew his opponent with a downward slash that broke through his armor, while Sarah managed to slice her opponent's throat open with her daggers. May had a little more difficulty, but she impaled her enemy on her lance. With the boy safe, they could rest.

"What's your name, little boy?" asked May.

"I'm Johnny of the Forest! Thank you for saving me from the Twilight Army!"

May froze and began to quake. The Twilight Army did this? They were here, and had slaughtered even more innocent victims? "NOOOOOOO!" she screamed as she ran over and began to stab the dead body of her opponent over and over again until her arms were completely drenched in blood. It took both Ed and Sarah to pull her off of the soldier's body, but once they did, she began to bawl again.

Johnny stared at May and asked Ed, "Should I not have said that?"

"I don't think so. Come on," he said as he took Marigold by her reins, "I'll take you back to our group. We're going to help you out!"

"How?"

"By defeating the Twilight Army!"

***

"Wow, Eddy, I suppose you really ARE acrobatic after all!"

"I told ya so."

The party had stopped for lunch and were sitting down in the shade of a large tree when Ed came up with a crying May in his arms and a young boy at his side. This boy was slightly older than Jimmy and Sarah, but no older than Eddward or Delilah. His hair had been shaved off, so all he had was some fuzz atop his crown. He had tanned skin, like a traveler, and wore a simple white tunic, blue shorts, and black shoes. A navy cape was wrapped around his body.

"This is Johnny," said Ed. "He said that there's a fortress up ahead controlled by someone called the Twilight Army. I said we could defeat them. Who's in?"

A resounding "WHAT?!" bombarded Ed's ears, and immediately, the party was in an uproar. "How could you say such a thing?!" "There's no way for us to take down an army by ourselves!" "When will you wake up and realize that we are not as strong as you might think we are, Ed?!"

Delilah held up her hand to silence the group. When that did not work, she clanged her sword against its metal sheath. "Listen," she shouted, "I don't want to hear any complaints until I know just what this Twilight Army is! Now little boy," she looked at Johnny, "tell us what happened."

"I have lived by myself in this forest for many years now, and I lived with a tribe of people who dwelled in the center of the forest. They were very kind, and would give me food and shelter whenever I wanted. They taught me to read and to speak the tongues of humans. When I wasn't with them, I was in the forest, where I communed with nature and learned the ways of the world from a tree. I learned everything from that tree spirit.

"The Twilight Army came and destroyed everything. They cut down the trees and turned them into a fortress. They enslaved the men and women and made them work as their servants in the fortress. They cut down my tree, and so I set fire to that tree, so that it might not be a part of their fiendish plans. I made a promise that I would free the people from Commander Jacqual, but I was just one boy. What was I to do?"

Delilah reached out a comforting hand and touched his head. "Johnny, I can promise you this: we will destroy that fortress, and we will save those people. Let's move out, everybody!"

"Is this such a good idea?" Jimmy was very afraid of what would happen to the party if they were to face against an army. "We'll be murdered!"

"Jimmy, these people murdered innocent villagers. This happened to those swamp people." Sarah grabbed her friend roughly by the shoulders and shook him. "We have to do this!"

"Let's go!"

Ed walked along with May and Marigold. He gazed at May in sorrow and asked, "May, will you be able to fight?" She nodded and so Ed helped her onto her saddle. Before she lifted off the ground, Ed put a hand out to stop her. "Don't fly for now," he said, "here, there be archers."

***

A lone guard stood on the ramparts of the south wing of the fortress. He stared deep into the trees, hoping to find some sort of activity. Suddenly, a child ran out from the trees, carrying a sword.

"Halt! Who goes-" He was cut off by the arrow that imbedded itself in his skull.

Nazz ran out after Delilah and said, "Good plan." She was joined thereafter by Kevin, who grunted his acknowledgment.

"They usually are. We have to hurry now. I sent Sarah and Eddward to handle the west gate, Eddy, Rolf, and Jimmy to the east gate, and Ed, Johnny and May to the north. Kevin, let's destroy a wooden gate!"

Delilah drew her twin swords and Kevin readied his lance. When the two of them were prepared, they ran straight for the door and attacked it with ferocity. The combination of savage sword strikes and powerful lance blows was enough to splinter the gate with ease. One final hit from the lance was enough to break through the door, and the three rushed into the fort, where they were met by several soldiers and fighters.

"Got a plan for this?" Kevin grumbled.

"Give me a moment…"

***

"Sounds like Kevin and Delilah made it into the fort, Double D!" Sarah was striking at the door she was standing at, while Eddward fired off a Flux spell to crush the sentry that watched them from above. "We need to step it up!"

"When did I become Double D?" he asked.

"Well, you're name has two Ds in it, so, therefore, you are Double D!"

Eddward was unsure if he liked the nickname or not. He did not have time to ponder it, however, as the door was broken by Sarah. The two of them charged inside and began to combat the enemy soldiers that were attacking Delilah and her group.

***

While the others were breaking into the fort, Rolf and Eddy were busy dealing with an archer who sat atop the ramparts. Since Rolf had used up his hand axe against a bandit party a few days ago, Eddy lacked skill with a throwing weapon, and Jimmy only knew healing magic, they basically had to draw the archer's attention away from the north wing, where May was.

"Well," Eddy murmured, "what do we do, boyos? We're pinned here unless we can get up there and get rid of the archers."

"This is quite perplexing, yes? Jimmy-boy, have you a plan?"

Jimmy was sitting in thought. He finally snapped out of his trance and said, "Call me crazy, but I think I know how to beat the archers. Rolf, how much can you lift?"

"Ho-HO! The son of a shepherd can easily carry a stone boulder and hurl it a great distance!"

"Perfect." Jimmy looked at Eddy, who was already shaking his head.

"Oh no," he shouted, "I ain't doin' it!"

Rolf grabbed the thief and picked him up. "Too late for talk, greedy Eddy! He who hesitates is lost!" There was a lull in the archer's volley, which meant that they were readying their bows again. The fighter took advantage of this and threw Eddy as high as he could, sending him right over the wall and onto the rampart.

Eddy twisted his neck from left to right and grinned. "I am goin' to kill that hairy beast!" He drew his swords and stabbed the two archers next to him in the gut, and then leaped out of the path of the next arrow. The thief swiftly ran to the next archer and stabbed him in the gut and cut upwards. With the archers gone, he could leap down and unblock the door, allowing his companions to run inside and join the ongoing fray that was quickly growing out of control. When Jimmy ran by him, he grabbed the boy and locked his head with his arm.

"If you ever have me thrown again, I will gut you like a fish!" he hissed before charging towards the first enemy he could find. Jimmy was left shivering in fear and trying not to get hit by an axe-man.

***

Ed pounded away at the giant gate with his sword while the others were attacking the gates, and Johnny was getting rid of the lone archer atop the ramparts. May was shivering with anticipation, and she flew upwards once the archer was slain. She could not wait to kill those Twilight bastards, and she would start with that knight in the crimson armor.

She stabbed at the knight with her lance, but her attack was blocked by the sturdier unit, who grabbed her lance and wrenched it from her hands. May was pulled with her weapon and hit the ground hard. The girl was picked up by the knight, who cocked a fist and almost hit her, but held back at the last second.

"May? Is that you?" asked the knight in a familiar voice.

"…Lee? Lee, could it possibly be you?!"

The knight removed her helmet and revealed her tough face to her sister, though tears flowed freely from her eyes. May was crying as well, and the two sisters embraced each other openly. They cried into each other's arms, even as Ed and Johnny broke through the gate.

May let go and asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you had been kidnapped!"

"I'll tell you later, May. Right now, we're killing the man in charge!" She put her sister back onto Marigold and passed her lance back. "Come on!" shouted Lee as she ran forward and rammed into a soldier with her armor. In their hearts, both sisters felt right at home again fighting side by side in the heat of battle.

***

In time, the number of soldiers dwindled, leaving only a select few. These were dealt with by Delilah and the others, while Commander Jacqual was left to May, Lee, and Johnny. The fight would not be easy, for Jacqual was a skilled swordsman in his own right, and not just some fool. He would not be taken so easily.

"Come, taste your death!" he shouted as he charged May. The blonde girl blocked his attack with her lance, but she was still thrown back by the force of his blow.

"Leave my sister alone, you ass!" Lee engaged the commander in combat and managed to swing her lance so that she cut into his chest with a mighty blow. The commander howled in agony before coming at Lee with his own sword, which left a gash on her arm. While he was busy with the knight, he did not notice Johnny had snuck up behind him.

"Fuego!" he cried as a bolt of fire was shot at the commander. It badly burned his back, but still he stood.

He cackled in madness. "I will rule the Army! Bow to your ruler!"

"No." May stabbed him through the back with her lance, while Lee picked hers up and gored him through the front. Blood spilled from the commander's mouth, and his eyes began to glaze over.

"I…rule…" He fell to his knees and then to his side. The sisters took their lances from his body and rejoined their comrades, who were finished with the last of the soldiers. Everyone was tired, but in good spirits, for they had truly accomplished something great today. One by one, the captured people came out from hiding and gave their thanks to the party, with Eddy taking most of the glory.

As the day went on, they buried the soldiers out in the forest, although May and Lee wanted to leave Jacqual's body out for the wild animals. The night saw the party staying in the fort with the villagers, and they held a feast in celebration. There were some, however, who were not enjoying the feast.

May and Lee were up on the ramparts, staring up at the stars in the evening sky, wondering if their polygamous father could see them now. The pegasus knight asked her sister, "So, why did you join the Twilight Army?"

"I wanted to see if I could rise through the ranks and take it apart from the inside-out. Kind of silly, now that I look back on it."

"…Do you think we'll find Marie?"

"Undoubtedly. Now, if you'll excuse me," she got up from her spot on the ramparts, "I'm gonna give my greetings to Eddy."

May giggled at her sister, but then she turned back to the sky, wondering where her sister could possibly be.

***

Delilah was on the ramparts as well, sipping berry juice from a wooden bowl. She was joined by Eddward, who had said that he wanted to talk to her about something. "Well, what is it?"

"Delilah, this is something that has been bothering me since we first met. From the moment I saw you, I thought you looked familiar, and now I know." He held up some papers that had belonged to Commander Jacqual. "Why didn't you tell us that you were the princess Alaby?"

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

_***_

Name: Johnny

Class: Mage

Level: 4

***

Name: Lee

Class: Knight

Level: 6


	8. Chapter 6: The Runaway Princess

_While traveling through the pine forests in the heart of Konohal, the rogue Delilah and her band of heroes came across a boy who was greatly injured while escaping a fortress in the woods. The mage-boy, Johnny, told the sordid tale of how a rogue army had come and invaded the village that lay in the forest, and he begged Delilah for help in defeating them. She agreed, and the party set into battle against the forces led by Commander Jacquel, one of them being the sister of May, Lee._

_Once freed from their imprisonment, the villagers held a celebration for the heroes who had saved them. May and Lee reunited and the others partook in food, drink, and merriment, save for Delilah and Eddward, who had made a startling revelation._

**Chapter 6: The Runaway Princess**

With the sun looking down on them from above, Delilah and her party continued forward through the wooded lands of Konohal, now nearing the Monel Valley, where many a traveler was said to go missing in the dense fog. The entire valley was large and vast; it seemed even more grandiose when the thick fog would fill the air and ground making the trees and earth vanish away. It was a poor idea to travel through the valley as is, but many a brave fool would attempt to go from end to end by himself. The fool never made it out.

That day, the sixth day in the fifth month of the year, the ever-expanding party led by Delilah was attempting to conquer the dreaded valley so that they might reach the village of Lor'Zod, where they would obtain shelter and more supplies for their journey to the capital. On this foggy day, May chose to ride her winged horse close to the ground, for fear of losing her friends in the wispy smoke. All those who were landlocked to begin with stayed together so as not to become separated.

As he strode through the woods, Ed struck up a conversation with Kevin, who was fiddling with his iron lance. "Say, Kevin," he asked, "have you ever been to the arena?"

"'Course I have! I've seen plenty of fights in the coliseum in the city of Saria, and I earned over 5,000 Gold just by fighting there."

"Remarkable!" The dopey boy paused before grinning. "Who do you think is stronger: me or Rolf?"

"Hmm," said Kevin, "It's hard to say. Rolf's really tough, and you've got enough strength to boot…all I know is that I'm better than the both of you."

"Oh, that is such a lie!" Ed shouted as he laughed. "I betcha I could take down more baddies in our next fight for sure!"

Rolf lumbered over to the pair and clapped each of them on the back. "Ho-ho-HO! Do Rolf's ears detect the sound of a wager being made? Let's make a deal, Horse-Riding-Kevin-Boy and No-Neck-Ed-Boy: whoever shall slay the most opponents in the next battle we face shall earn five hundred Gold from the two losers. Sounds fair, yes?"

"You're on!" shouted Kevin as he chucked his gold coins at Eddward. "Hey, Ghost-Face, hold those for me!"

"Me too, Eddward!" Ed threw some gold coins at his shamanic friend, who deftly caught them in his hands.

The hooded boy caught a hail of coins from Rolf and then exclaimed, "Gracious, sounds like you all will be having a field day out there! I bet Eddy would love to get in on this if he knew how much money he could win."

"Did somebody say money?!"

The quick thief Eddy dashed over to Eddward's side and grabbed his friend by the shoulders. "What's this I hear about money?" he asked.

"K-K-Kevin, R-R-R-Rolf and E-E-Ed are in a b-b-bet!" Eddy released his friend so that he would stop stammering. "Whoever can slay the most enemies in our next battle will earn over a thousand Gold!"

"Interesting…" Eddy dropped a few pieces of Gold into Eddward's hands. "I want in on this. But I'll tell ya, boyos, yer gonna have a tough time stopping me. I've gotten stronger, in case ya couldn't tell!" He rolled up the sleeves on his tunic and flexed his muscles, showing a significant growth in the past few weeks. Before he covered them again, he felt cold metal touch them.

The metal belonged to Lee, who was clad in her knight's armor. She fawned over Eddy's large biceps. "Ooh, Eddy," she purred, "those are looking fine…"

"Easy, Lee, ya can't touch without payin'!"

"Who'd pay to touch your smelly body?" sneered Sarah who was riding on Nazz's shoulders. Eddy threw a knife at her, barely missing her head.

"Who wouldn't?" he asked. The little girl growled and leaped from Nazz's shoulders, then ran to Eddy and kicked him in the shins.

"You bloody rip-off artist!" she screamed before Delilah grabbed her and hoisted her into the air. The hooded girl disposed of Sarah by placing her on Kevin's steed and having him grab her around the waist.

Delilah looked up at Sarah. "Believe you me, Sarah, I'd like nothing more than to tear Eddy a new one, but I can't have you two going at each other all the time. Calm yourself and just take deep breaths. Kevin, hold her steady and don't let her go for an instant."

"Got it," the cavalier replied as he held Sarah's small body close to him. This prompted Jimmy to run over and whack Kevin in the back with his staff.

The small boy yelled, "Keep your hands away, home-wrecker!" He too was subdued, this time by Johnny, who hit Jimmy in the head with his large tome of spells. The bald-headed boy grabbed Jimmy and threw him onto May's winged horse.

"Next time, Delilah," he said with a grin, "just leave the discipline to me. I can swing a mean book, y'know!"

"I'm honestly considering it," she replied, "I'm honestly considering it."

Delilah looked ahead towards the front of the party at Eddward. For a brief moment, their eyes locked, and they remembered the talk from a few nights ago…

***

"_Why didn't you tell us you were Princess Alaby?" Eddward asked. In his hands was an assortment of papers that had been found in Commander Jacqual's private quarters in the wooden fortress. On the top paper was a picture of a girl with long black hair that fell in curls all the way to her back. Her face was lean, and, though the paper changed the colors, it was clear that she had pale eyes of a sort._

_Delilah stood firm. "I…I don't know what you're talking about, Eddward. It's just a coincidence, that's all!"_

_He smiled. "You don't have to keep lying, you know," he said._

_She paused then asked, "How did you find out?"_

"_Truth be told," he replied, "I knew there was something different about you from the first day we met. Not many thieves wear the Konohal shield upon their chest, I would think. After a while, I began to notice little twitches in your personality: you're not some normal, run-of-the-mill thief, Your Majesty."_

"_Don't call me that!" she whispered loudly. "No one must know that I am with you, understand?"_

"_My lips are sealed," said Eddward as he pretended to lock his lips together like a chest. "I know that you probably have your reasons for doing this, but I shall listen when you decide to tell me."_

"_Thank you," Delilah said as she smiled. Eddward left her to join the party again, leaving her to stay and watch the night sky through the treetops. _

"_The moon is so beautiful tonight," she whispered. "Can you see it, Philomena?"_

***

Eddward smiled at her and nodded, letting Delilah know that her secret was safe with him. The thief girl nodded in return, and then moved along ahead of the group. Because she had trained herself to be like a thief, Delilah had developed a powerful pair of eyes that allowed her to see far through the fog that obscured the path they trod upon that day. As her gaze pierced the smoke, she thought she could make out a figure running towards their group. It seemed to be a young man clad in a traveling tunic prepared for mountain exploration.

"Hold!" she shouted. "Who are you?"

The young man cried, "Please help! There are rogue soldiers ahead, and they're attacking my exploration team!" He fell at Delilah's feet, gasping for air.

"Relax, friend." Delilah stooped down and helped the man up to his feet. She said to him, "Sir, we'll defeat these rogues yet. There's not an enemy we have not come across that could put an end to us. Right, everybody?"

The party cried out, "Yeah!"

"Hurry," the man cried, "I don't know how much longer we can last!"

***

WHAM!

"Stay down, ya rabble-rousing mongrel!" the soldier roared as he slammed the butt of his spear into the chest of a long-haired student.

"Oof!" the student cried in pain as he fell to the ground.

"Ye should nah 'ave trespassed on this ground!" shouted another soldier who was dangerously close to one woman. She wept bitter tears, but the soldier did not care; it was for the grand scheme that Mordecai had told him. If there were to be sacrifices along the way, so be it.

Suddenly, there came a voice from the edge of the haven. "Stop right there!" a young woman cried. Out from the trees came an assortment of young travelers, every one clutching a weapon of a sort, ready to meet in combat. The soldiers began to laugh at this.

"Do you have any idea," one soldier chuckled, "who you are going up against?" He was answered by an arrow going through his skull and sending him into a nearby tree.

"Don't know, don't care," Delilah growled. "Form a ring around the travelers!" she shouted. Everyone followed her orders, and they stood in an impenetrable circle around the accosted party: Delilah and Eddy took the west point together; May, Ed, and Sarah were to her left, while Lee, Rolf and Kevin were at his right; Nazz, Eddward, Jimmy and Johnny stood behind the group, waiting to attack.

The soldier who was threatening the woman roared, "ATTACK!" and then he ran off into the woods to alert his commander. Immediately, more enemies poured out of the fog, but Delilah and Eddy could see them coming. This would be a rough battle that would require all of their concentration.

"Hey, who wants stew after this?"

"Now's not the time, Ed," Eddward sighed as he opened his tome of spells.

***

Two soldiers bearing lances came running out of the smoke and tried to attack Eddy, but he deftly dodged them, receiving only a few nicks in the process. In return, he slashed them across their legs, sending them to the ground.

"You mongrel!" shouted one.

"Yeah, I fight dirty," he replied, "You're still the one's who're gonna die."

Right on cue, Rolf slammed his axe down into the back of one soldier, while Kevin impaled another upon his iron lance. The blood gushed from their bodies, but this did not deter Eddy from searching their carcasses for a coin purse.

"Eddy, not now!" cried Delilah as she gored a fighter's eye with her iron sword.

"Sorry, love, force of habit."

***

"Versammlung, dunkle Kräfte! FLUX!"

The shadows of the lofty pine trees twisted and contorted into a sphere around a knight who had stomped out into the clearing, sending him reeling; a well-timed stab of the lance from Lee was enough to slaughter the man.

"Say, Eddward," asked Lee as she withdrew her lance from the body, "have you heard anything from my sister?"

"I'm afraid not," Eddward replied. "I have not seen her since we saw you all last."

"That's what I thought. I wonder what she's gotten herself into this time."

"It's hard for me to say. Didn't she say something about wanting to get a travelling job like my friends and myself?"

"Yeah. Didn't take her seriously, I suppose. Y'know, she always had this thing for you. Maybe if you had stuck around--"

"--I know. This is neither the time nor place to discuss this." Eddward declared his incantation, sending a ball of shadows out to crush a cavalier who had ridden out of the woods. This time, Nazz shot an arrow into his heart, killing him instantly.

"Could you two focus on the battle a little more?" the blonde archer asked, clearly frustrated. She did not know why, but the idea of Eddward being with another woman bothered her. After spending time with the shaman, she was unsure of how she felt about this sister that Lee had brought up. She had a history with Eddward? Nazz did not like the sound of that at all.

"Sure thing, princess," Lee hissed as she drove her lance into a cavalier who had appeared in the clearing. There was a cry behind her, and she turned to discover that Nazz had been hit in the shoulder by an unseen archer. The blood flowed freely from her wound, but Jimmy was immediately by her side to heal the wound.

"Try not to move for a moment," he whispered as he pulled the arrow from her shoulder and cast his healing spell. "Luap si daed. I deirub Luap. S'taht ton Luap!" A cool blue light emitted from his healing staff and covered Nazz's wound; in a moment, there was not a single sign of damage left

"There's someone in the trees!" shouted Eddward as he scanned the treetops, or what he could see of them.

"I see him!" cried Sarah as she disappeared into the misty fog. There was the sound of a blade being drawn, a shriek of terror, the sound of an animal being cut, and a sickening thud. The enemy archer had his throat cut from end to end, and he was now in a crumpled heap on the forest floor. A myrmidon that was watching began to quake with fear when he saw the blood-thirsty little girl in the trees.

Ed laughed, "That's my sister!" He imitated her by slicing his giant sword at a charging soldier, but he actually managed to cleave off the man's upper torso. "Heh, guess I've got to work on my aim!"

While all the action was going on, the travelers were seated behind the children, huddling in fear of both the enemy soldiers and the homicidal children that were protecting them.

"Is no one going to ask why they are so comfortable with this?" asked one.

"Silence, you spoony bard," whispered another, "At least they won't kill us…I think."

***

Once clear of the field, the soldier ran through the forest, away from the gruesome sounds of the battle behind him. "How is it possible for our men to be killed so easily?" he shouted. "We are the destroyers of the world!"

"Correction," a silky voice hissed, "WE are the chosen; you lot are merely pawns in the Lord's work." A bolt of fire burst out at the soldier and engulfed him in flames, consuming his body in an instant. The source of the fire emerged from the trees: It was a mage, tall and enigmatic. His blonde hair was nearly white like snow, and it was incredibly long. He wore a crimson mage's uniform that had a strange insignia on the collar, thick black boots, and black gloves upon his hands.

"Fools like you are not worthy to breathe the same air as myself." The mage smirked and stood in the forest edge. "Come, you who would destroy the plans of the Twilight Army. I shall make your burn."

***

After a time, the enemies ceased their frontal attack, allowing Delilah and her friends to take a brief rest. "Jimmy, start healing everyone. Let's split up: Eddy, you wait here with Lee, Eddward, Nazz and Kevin. Rolf, Johnny, May, Ed and Sarah: you guys are with me. Move!" The groups split up, with Delilah charging into the woods and Eddy staying behind.

"I know what you're thinking, Eddy," Eddward whispered. "Don't do it."

"Hush, Ghost-Face." Eddy smirked and stood in front of the travelers. He said, "Okay, so, let's start talking the price of saving you!"

Eddward groaned and slapped his forehead. Nazz leaned over and asked him, "Is he always like this?"

"Sadly," he replied.

"It's all part of his charm," Lee cooed as she gazed longingly at Eddy.

"Yep, there it goes," said Kevin. "I think I just lost my lunch."

***

Delilah and her team charged through the pine forests, moving as fast as they could, save for May, who flew through the air on her winged horse. "So, who's getting the kill this time?" asked Sarah.

"Whoever can get there first, I say!" shouted Johnny as he sprinted ahead with his magical tome in hand.

"Focus, ya maggots," growled Delilah. "This isn't about who can kill who. What, is this some kind of game?!"

"None of you shall do this as you will all die."

Everyone scattered as a bolt of fire burst through the air and struck Ed in the chest, sending him flying through the air and into a thick tree. The mage was standing there near a boulder in the forest, grinning like a sadist.

"You shall all die at the hand of The Fox, the demon of the Twilight Army," he hissed as he prepared another incantation. "Fuego mucho!" A large wave of fire spread across the ground, blocking everyone from attacking him.

"We cannot reach this demon!" howled Rolf who nearly incinerated his hand upon the wall of fire.

"Marigold won't fly above it!" May cried.

"What do we do?!" shouted Sarah.

"Simple," said The Fox, "you die- AGGH!"

When no one was looking, Delilah had burst through the flames and stabbed The Fox through the chest with her sword. The mage's eyes lit up in death and he gasped, "Who…who are you?"

"I'm Alaby, princess of Konohal. And you are dead by my blade."

"Heh, Konohal." The Fox chuckled grimly. "We have already attacked the capital city. There is no way for you to reach it now. You will fail before the might of the Twilight Army." Delilah growled and dug her sword in deeper, relishing in the howls of agony that came from The Fox's mouth.

"I know, and I will save my people. I swear it."

She left the ring of fire and rejoined her friends, all of whom were gaping in awe. They were walking with a princess this whole time? Ed walked over to her and wrapped her in a hug.

"I knew it!" he cried.

"Ed, get off me." Delilah turned to the others and said, "I suppose I have some explaining to do."

_TO BE CONTINUED…_


	9. Support Conversations Part II

**Support Conversations: Part II**

Ed and Delilah(B level):

When the battle against The Fox and his soldiers ended, Delilah and her party rested upon a clearing that was free from beasts or travelers. The party leader was taking a swig of water from her flask when Ed wandered up to her.

"Hey, Delilah," he asked with a grin, "wanna look at the clouds with me?"

"I don't know, Ed. I'm exhausted, and it doesn't help that everyone's staring at me as if I've grown a second head," she replied.

"Aww, c'mon, it doesn't take that much effort! I even found a little hill up a ways that we can sit on and stare into the sky!" He grabbed her wrist and dragged her along. Despite having protested initially, Delilah was used to Ed's antics. Maybe some cloud watching would be good for her.

They sat upon a small green hill that rose up out of the ground. From the hilltop, they could both see the bright sky through the fog and keep an eye on the group. Delilah laid back on the grass and closed her eyes. She relished in this feeling of peace that Ed exuded. It was like being wrapped in a warm blanket.

"Ed, are you hugging me right now?" she asked, her eyes still shut.

"Maybe," he replied happily, like a little child.

"I don't like to be touched, y'know, so try not to be so clingy, okay?"

"Sir, yes SIR!"

"That's more like it. Now, what do the clouds look like?"

Ed put his finger to his chin and thought for a moment. "Well," he said with a very serious voice, "there's a cloud that looks like a pair of swordsmen in action, and I think I can see a pretty rabbit. Ooh, and I see a demon devouring a sheep. Do you think that's an omen?"

"Maybe," Delilah replied. "Is the rabbit bleeding?"

"…No."

"Then I think it is fine."

Ed continued to list off what the clouds looked like that day, and Delilah stayed by his side the whole time. At one point, she fell into slumber and curled up against Ed, which made the large boy blush. Rather than run away like he would do if May or another girl got this close to him, he wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"This was fun," he said to himself. "We should do it again sometime."

Eddward and Nazz (B level):

After defeating the hordes of undead men in the Konohal Swamps, Nazz had begun to avoid Eddward; she felt uneasy and more than a little scared around him. It was because she had seen how destructive he was capable of being. She knew that she could not avoid him altogether. Sooner or later, they would talk about it.

"We have to," the archer whispered aloud, "before something like that were to happen again."

"If what would happen again?" asked Eddward. He had snuck up behind Nazz to get her attention, since she had been keeping her distance from him.

Nazz spun around to face him. "E-Eddward!" she squeaked, her voice becoming very high. "What're you doing here?!"

"I wanted to see if you were all right. And I wanted to know if you would help me with my physical training."

"I-I'm fine! I've just…I've just had some things on my mind. But first, let's get to our training!" This would give them the perfect opportunity to talk with each other, when all the others would leave them alone and they could just talk.

The two of them walked to a gigantic tree that was almost as wide as a cottage and easily five times as tall. Its bark was an aged brown, and the leaves were a vibrant green.

"We're going to climb THAT?!" asked Eddward as he began to remove his Shaman's Cloak.

"Yep," Nazz replied. "I think we'll climb up to the middle of the tree, then rest and keep going."

"Oh, this will take all day," Eddward moaned.

"It will if you don't get going!" Nazz giggled. "Now get to climbing!"

As Eddward attempted to climb the tree, digging his fingers into the bark in an attempt to get a grip on the old tree, Nazz could not help the smile that spread across her face. THIS was the friendly shaman who had befriended her, and that was all that mattered. He may have his secrets, but that was fine with Nazz.

"This is just fine," she whispered as she began climbing up after Eddward, who was making good progress.

Eddy and Delilah (B Level):

After protecting the travelers from harm, Eddy had tried to seek a reward from the people, but Delilah smacked him across the head. "What was that for?!" he cried, but she did not answer him.

"Are ya mad at me, love?" the short thief asked.

"Didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?" Delilah growled as she stomped away to the leader of the travelers. She really did not want to deal with Eddy and his stupidity at this time, not after revealing her identity to half of her party.

The rival thief did not let up. "C'mon, Lavender, tell me what's wrong."

""Lavender"? Is that the best you can come up with?"

"I see I don't get points for trying," Eddy sighed.

"Not really."

"Will you just tell me what's wrong?!"

Delilah spun around after sending the travelers on their way. "Look, you want to know why I'm angry? It's because I'm the princess of Konohal!"

"Prin-"

"Yeah, PRINCESS!" she screamed. "I've been trying to keep it a secret for the longest time, and now I've gone and told everyone. Oh Luap, what're they going to think of me?!"

Eddy stared blankly at her and then said, "Your cloak is burned, love. Here, let's get rid of it." He took Delilah's emerald cloak, which had been burned by mage fire, and fingered it in his hands. "How much do ya say that's worth, princess?"

"Um…probably, er, 5,000 gold, but-"

"Well, it's worth a lot less now. Any sentimental value?"

"No, none whatsoever."

"Good." Eddy drew his sword and tore through the cloak. The forest green cloak was ripped to shreds, left in strips along the forest floor.

"There," said Eddy as he put his sword away. "No need ta thank me! I'm just doing my job!"

Delilah gaped at him. "You…you just destroyed my cloak."

"'Course I did, princess! I just wanted ta let ya know that we're not going ta think any less of ya. But, if ya ask me, I don't see how you could get it any lower. Now c'mon," he grabbed her hand, "let's get something ta eat, princess."

After hearing him say those words, Delilah felt a little relieved. He was right: no one would care one way or the other if she was a princess or not.

"I don't suppose you could stop using that nickname, Eddy?" she asked.

"Sure. Which would you prefer: love, princess, Yer Majesty, or Yer Lovely Princess Majesty?"

"You know what? Stick with 'love'."

"Whatever ya say, love."

Ed and May (B Level):

When the battle in the fortress had concluded, the imprisoned villagers celebrated their freedom by holding a grand feast full of ample food, drink, and merriment. When May saw that Ed was singing a song to himself, she giggled and wandered over to his side, her own wine goblet in her hand.

"I'm a Podcheen, come to the Wadjeen," sang Ed, "I got money, and acres of land…" He trailed off into laughter, but May began to sing the same song. Ed looked over at her and smiled broadly as he started singing once more. "I'm looking for a honey, with a bit of money. Catch me if you can, me name is Dan, Sure I'm your man!"

The two young travelers laughed uproariously for what seemed forever. Ed's mind was gone, spirited away by the wine he drank, and May was no better off than he. When Ed tripped on a stick on the ground, he cried, "Oop!" and fell. He did not know that his hands would reach out and grab the closest thing to him, in this case, May's arm. They fell in a heap on the dirt floor of the fort, but their smiles returned to their faces once more a moment later. It did not occur to either of them how close they were to each other at that time.

"Ed?" asked May, "Do you remember the first time we met?"

"How could I forget?" he replied. "Me n' Eddward n' Eddy were travelling around, and we put on a puppet show for the children of your village. I was the tree."

"And you were a very handsome tree," May said. "But do you remember what happened after that, when you REALLY met me?"

"But of course!" laughed Ed. "You and Marie were bugging a fruit vendor, and I thought that he was being mean to you, so I started hitting him with all my might. Yes sir, I do remember."

May's eyes drooped and her lips turned upward. "And do you remember what you said to me then?" she purred.

"Um…"Ed has saved the day yet again!"?"

"No, silly!" she giggled. "You said, "Someday, turtledove, we'll get married! And you won't have to worry about mean ol' fruit vendors ever again!"

"Uh…" A furious blush broke out across Ed's face. He threw May off of his body and shouted, "Sorry, May, I have to…uh…not…be here. Farewell!"

May pushed herself off the ground and watched Ed as he ran away, occasionally falling flat on his face. "Was it something I said?" she asked herself.

Eddward and Eddy (B Level):

While watching over Rolf's livestock at night, Eddward and Eddy decided to strike up a conversation with each other.

"So, Ghost-Face," said Eddy, "how does magic work again?"

"Well, Eddy," replied Eddward, "the key is that you at least understand the words in the magical tomes. If you can grasp the summoning concept, it's a snap!"

"Yeah, yeah, you've told me all this before. What else does it take?"

"The one who intends to cast the spell must have a trace of magical energy in his body. That's the most important requirement."

"What?!" Eddy threw his hands up in frustration. "I give up understanding magic at all! It's too hard!"

"If you only applied yourself to the study," Eddward told him, "you might find it easier than you think!"

"Forget magic, Ghost-Face! You can keep it!"

Ed and Rolf (C Level):

Once the battle against the army of undead ended, Delilah's party travelled for a day or two to get away from the burning swamp and the sickening smell of ashy corpses. At last, they stopped on the outskirts of an abandoned village, not unlike the small town of Peach Creek.

"Wow!" Ed exclaimed. "It's just like Peach Creek!"

"What is this Creek of Peaches you speak of, Long-Sword-No-Neck Ed Boy?" asked Rolf, clearly confused by Ed's statement.

"Oh, me and my friends used to live in a ghost town like this for some time. We fought some wolves, and then we had to go because it smelled bad." Ed lifted his sword high into the air and then drove it down into the ground. "I hereby declare this to be the town of New Peach Creek!"

Rolf chuckled. "Ho ho HO! Ed Boy, you do not realize that we are staying here but a night or two, yes?"

"Maybe. Say, Rolf, you want to fight some time?"

"Why do you ask this, Ed Boy?"

"You seem pretty strong, but Ed will surely wipe the floor with you!"

"Ha! The son of a shepherd likes your spirit, Ed Boy! Very well, we shall spare against each other in a fortnight!"

"Aw," moaned Ed, "I can't wait that long!"

Kevin and Nazz (C Level):

After the battle in the abandoned village, Delilah offered Kevin a spot upon the team, seeing a need for someone with a horse that could stay on the ground. Kevin accepted the invitation, needing a group to belong to, but more importantly, he wanted to get to know the blonde archer a little better. So, when the groups were assigned for night watch, Kevin volunteered to be on the first watch with Nazz.

That night, Kevin sat upon a rock, occasionally glancing over at Nazz, who was seated beneath an oak tree. She was radiant, the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes upon.

"So beautiful…" he mumbled.

"Did you say something, Kevin?" Nazz asked when she thought she heard a noise come from the young boy.

"Oh, uh, nope! Nothing at all!"

"Really? 'Cause I could have sworn you said something was beautiful."

"I was talking about…the moon! Yeah, the moon's lovely right now, eh?" Kevin was grasping for a way to cover up his slight reveal.

"Yes, it's a beautiful moon," said Nazz as she laid back against the tree. She started to shut her eyes and then she smiled and told Kevin, "I'm going to take a little nap. Wake me if there's danger, and keep your hands to yourself."

Nazz fell into a light slumber, while Kevin spent the entire night with a face full of red.

Jimmy and Sarah (C Level):

Once they were free of the disgusting swamps, Jimmy wandered over to Sarah and asked, "Sarah, are you sure we should be getting into skirmishes like this?"

"Of course, Jimmy," she replied. "If that Delilah lady is willing to let my idiot brother onto the team, how much of a team is this?"

"You do have a point. We're obviously the best and most powerful."

"What do you mean?"

"We're the most inexperienced. Therefore, once we gather enough experience and wisdom in battle, and when we are given the option of changing our class, we'll be incredibly powerful!" He lifted his staff high into the air and shouted, "I shall be Jimmy, the NOBLE BISHOP!" This evoked a chuckle from Sarah, who raised her own sword into the air. Before she said anything, however, she paused and put her finger to her chin, much liker her brother was known to do.

"What's the matter?" asked Jimmy.

"I don't know what class I want to be!" Sarah exclaimed as she put her sword away. "To Hell with this! I'll just be the most powerful woman on the planet, Jimmy! Now c'mon, we're running behind!"

"Coming, Sarah!"

Eddy and Lee (C Level):

Upon defeating the small group of enemies in the forest, Eddy found some time to rest under a pine tree. The thick fog surrounded him, and it carried an almost intoxicating smell that was pungent and full of pine. Even though the fog was extremely thick, Eddy had the eyes to make out who was coming up to him: Lee, the woman who lusted after him.

"Hiya, Eddy," she cooed as she strode up to him. She was not wearing her heavy armor like usual, but she was still wearing a light suit of armor that would protect from sneak attacks. "Whatcha up to?" she asked.

"Wondering when my profession went from con artist to soldier for hire," he mumbled as he shut his eyes.

Lee smirked. "If you're upset about the killing," she said, "just think of it this way: before, you were killing people's wallets. Now, it's actual people."

"Why does that not make me feel any better?"

"Beats me. My advice is sound and fool-proof."

"Of course. Say, you want to do something tonight that the Church would condemn?" Eddy propped himself up and stared at Lee lustfully.

"Only if you're up for it, little man."

As Lee sauntered away, Eddy kept his eyes fixated on Lee's voluptuous body. He was not about to sleep with her, no, but he did find her to be very attractive. At the very least, she was the most attractive from her sisters.

"Maybe someday, Lee," he whispered to himself, "but not today."


	10. Chapter 7: Under the Night Sky

_Delilah, revealed to be the princess of Konohal, Alaby, led her party deep into a densely-packed forest in the heart of her country, where they encountered a wandering professor. The man begged her and her friends to aid his travelling party in escaping from the clutches of a rogue army called the Twilight Army. She accepted and, with time, drove off the vile forces that were pressing down onto the party. While in battle with the villains' leader, Delilah's identity was discovered by her companions, and now, she must explain to her army why she has been in hiding all this time…_

**Chapter 7: Under the Night Sky**

When the day had ended and the sun had set down beyond the horizon, Ed and Eddward had led the party to a far part of the woods, close to the summit that would lead them up and out of the valley. Delilah had spent the trek in a glum, speaking to no one, not even Eddy, who was becoming increasingly distressed over the leader's lack of orders. He might not have shown it, but he was more worried than Eddward on an average day.

The cool night air caressed the tired bodies of Delilah's party as they sat around their campfire and patiently waited to hear their leader tell her tale. Delilah had been twitching with anxiousness, and only Eddy was keeping her composed. She paced back and forth around the fire, wording and rewording her explanation, so that she might not come off in the wrong way. At last, she could take no more of the awkward glances from most of the party, and she turned and came forward.

"Well," she said, "by now, most of you know who I am. I am Princess Alaby of the land of Konohal. My father is King Lorence and my mother is Queen Gertrude the Wise."

"Why did green-hooded Delilah run away from that fancy-schmancy life?" asked Rolf. He had been the quietest out of the whole party, mostly because he was unsure how to carry himself around royalty.

Delilah sighed and looked up to the stars. "I…I left because I sensed that there was something going wrong in the palace. No, I _knew_ that there was some foul play amidst the counselors and the royal family! It all began when my sister, Philomena, fell ill one day. She and I were playing in the middle of the castle garden, and…and then she began to cough up blood…there was so much…so much blood…"

Johnny, who was sitting upon a tree stump, leaned forward and told her, "Maybe she just became sick. Could be the plague making a comeback."

"No, it wasn't…I know it wasn't a normal illness because when the physician came to check on my sister, he whispered something to my parents. My ears only caught a few words: "poison…deceiving…counsel…" I desperately wanted to help my sister, but there was little I could do in the palace, so I ran away. The cure lay outside the castle walls, I did not want to stand around and wait for the counsel to come after me."

Delilah took a deep breath to compose herself, and then she bowed her head. "I'm sorry," she said to all the party members, "all of you, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to get caught up in all of this."

"What're you talking about, yer Highness?" Eddy asked in a sarcastic tone. "We, yer beloved countrymen, would risk life and limb to make sure that you arrived at the palace safe n' sound."

"Don't mock me, Eddy," Delilah growled, though she almost seemed on the verge of tears.

"For once, I think the dork is right," Kevin said as he pushed himself off the ground. "You didn't do any wrong here, Delilah. You're just trying to save your sister. So you lied to us…what does that matter in the grand scheme of it all?"

Eddward got up and put a consoling hand onto her shoulder. "Delilah," he said softly, "when we see you, we don't see some high and mighty princess. We see a friend, someone who is like us commoners."

"Edd's right!" Nazz exclaimed as she wrapped an arm around Delilah's shoulders. "We're your friends, and that's not going to change just because you told a white lie."

For the first time since earlier that morning, Delilah smiled. Knowing that all of her friends would stay by her side was a pleasing feeling for the girl. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had been so kind to her, nor when she was surrounded by so many well-wishing people.

"Thank you," she said through teary eyes. "Thank you, each and every one of you. I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am…thank you…"

She walked away from the fire and said, "I would like to be alone for a while. Please, no one disturb me." The dark-haired girl crept away through the dark trees, heading out to a clearing not far from the camp. Out in the clearing, there is a large gap in the trees where the evening sky shined through, illuminating the forest with twinkling starlight that lit up Delilah's pale skin. In the white light, she was almost glowing like a forest nymph of legend.

"Mena," the princess whispered, "are you watching the night sky? Can you see these stars? Can you see this moon?"

***

In the capital city of Konohal, in the magnificent palace that towers over the land, in a lonesome room along the eastern wall, a young girl with bright blonde hair looked out her window and gazed longingly at the stars. They, the stars, were so far away, so out of reach, but she knew that someday, she would reach those celestial gems. She would reach them, and she would pull one down and give it to her older sister.

"Alaby," she cooed, "I hope you are safe."

There came a knocking at her door and a rough voice. "Philomena?" the voice asked softly. "Philomena, are you still awake?"

The little girl quickly walked over to her bed and said, "Yes, father, I'm still awake."

Her door opened and in walked King Lorence, the ruler of all Konohal. He was a burly man, tall in stature and broad in figure, who was known for having slain over a hundred men in battle, or so the legends said. The king carried an air of authority wherever he went, and he never dropped his façade of a gruff warrior unless he was around his wife or his daughters. That evening, the king was wearing a forest green robe that was wrapped around his hardened body by a white cloth belt, and a pair of soft shoes that made nary a sound on the wooden floor of the palace. The king smiled through his thick beard of corn-yellow hair as he crept into the room and over to Philomena's bed.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you your bedtime story earlier," he told the little girl. "That fool of a counselor was keeping me tied up with documents all night long."

"That's okay, father," said Philomena, "You are a very busy man with a very busy job."

"That's right, I have a very, _very_, busy job," Lorence said with a chuckle.

"And one day, Alaby and I shall have that job," Philomena replied with a toothy smile.

The king paused and frowned for a moment before smiling again. "Yes," he said, "but let's hope you can find a suitable prince for that job! Now, what story would you like to hear tonight?"

"Tell me the one about the brave knights who come to rescue the girl in the forest!"

"Again? All right, if you insist, little one..."

Lorence cleared his throat and then began to tell the fairy tale to his daughter. "Once upon a time, there lived a brave and handsome knight in a cottage just on the edge of the forest. He would often spend his days in the woods, looking around for something, not really knowing what he was looking for, till one day, he stumbled upon a nymph on a quiet, moon-lit night…"

***

While Delilah sat there in the clearing, staring up into the night sky, there came the sound of horse's hooves against the forest floor. She turned to her left and saw a knight clad in blue armor ride up to her, and she immediately smiled, for this was a man most familiar to her.

"Elijah!" she called out. "Elijah, is that really you?"

"Princess Alaby!" the cavalier exclaimed as he dismounted from his horse. "I thought that was you! How long has it been, Your Majesty? Two months? Three months? More?"

"Oh, I should say more like half a year!" said Delilah as she got up off the ground and wrapped her arms around the cavalier's torso. "It is so good to see a familiar face again."

"Indeed. And it is most good to see you alive and well, princess," said Elijah as he lay his head upon her shoulder. The two of them stood there in silence for a brief moment before a knife whizzed through the air and stuck itself in Elijah's right hand.

"YEEEEAAGGHHHHH!" the cavalier screamed in agony. He let go of Delilah and pulled the knife from his hand before clutching it to his chest and wrapping it in white cloth from his tunic.

"Elijah, what happened?!" Delilah asked worriedly.

"I'll tell ya what happened, love."

Delilah turned and saw Eddy leap out from the shadows of the trees. His face was contorted in great fury, and his glare was directed at Elijah, who had just finished tying his hand up in cloth.

"Eddy, what is the meaning of this?!" Delilah screamed.

"Look behind you, Delilah," growled Eddy. "He was meanin' to kill ya!"

Delilah turned and looked at the ground. There, lying at her feet, was a dagger that was painted with a green substance that emitted a foul odor. The dagger was coated with poison, and it belonged only to the knights of the Konohal Army.

She glanced back and forth between Elijah and the knife. "This…this cannot be happening. Elijah…tell me you haven't betrayed my family!"

The cavalier smiled weakly, as in defeat. "Sorry, Alaby," he said, "but the Twilight Army makes a good point. They're going to change the world, make it a better place."

"And what happens when they kill us all, Elijah?!" the princess cried. "That's what they mean to do! They mean to murder every one of us!"

"I wish I could believe you, princess," the knight said nonchalantly, "but after my brother was sent to the frontlines to fight in some meaningless war, I'm not entirely I give a damn any more what's right and what's wrong."

Elijah mounted his horse and brushed back his amber hair from his eyes. "I have my men surrounding you and your little friends, Alaby. This night shall be your last!" His warning delivered, the cavalier rode off into the depths of the forest.

Delilah's knees failed her, and she crumpled to the ground. Eddy was right by her side not a moment later. "How?" she asked. "How could this happen? Has the counsel's decree spread into the ranks of the knights? Am I not safe from anyone?"

"Yer safe with us, love," said Eddy as he picked her up off the ground. "Now, I think it's time we got out and prepared ourselves for battle, hmm?"

The thief girl dried her eyes and nodded her head. "You're right," she told him, "we need to prepare for war!"

***

"…the knight found the fairy to be most beautiful," said Lorence to Philomena, "and he knew, then and there, that he was destined to be her protector. He would keep any harm from befalling her."

"But then what happened?" asked Philomena, even though she had heard the story many times before.

"On a moon-lit night many days later, the knight went out to see the nymph again, but when he got there, he only found ogre tracks leading into the deepest necks of the woods. The knight became dreadfully angry, and he swore he would save the lovely nymph before the ogres could lay a single finger on her fair head."

"And did he win?"

"Well, listen to the story, you little rascal! So, the knight marched into the woods all by himself, armed only with his broadsword and a silver lance…"

***

"Is this _really_ necessary?" asked a knight in violet armor to a knight in green armor. She sat atop her black horse, armed with her lance and sword, but the young lady was most uncomfortable. When she became nervous, she began to chew on her long, rose-tinted hair.

"Of course it's necessary, Sarai," said the man in green armor. He was riding a golden-brown horse, and he whipped his sword through the air to test his arm strength. The battle tonight did not matter to the grizzled veteran. All that mattered was that he do as he was told.

"Abram, I don't want to kill the princess!" cried Sarai as she sheathed her sword.

Abram slid his hand across his bald head and sighed. "You've always been weak of will, Sarai. Don't expect me to carry you through this!"

"This isn't right!" said Sarai. "I…I think Captain Elijah is wrong…"

"Truth be told," the bald cavalier said, "I believe that he is wrong also. But I follow my orders, and you shall too."

***

Once Eddy and Delilah had made their way back to the camp, they explained the situation to the party. There was not a single person there that night that said they would not help Delilah to fight against the rogue knights of Konohal. Each person in the camp quickly prepared themselves for combat, each one feeling that this battle would be different than the ones they had fought before. Poor Eddward was shaking from head to toe as he flipped through the pages of his shamanic tome, searching for a spell to use in combat. Nazz saw him and she walked over and placed her hand upon his shoulder.

"We'll be all right," said the archer to the shaman. "I know we will. We haven't found an enemy yet that can best us in combat!"

"Th-Th-That's true," Eddward replied, "b-b-b-but I can't help feeling like we're d-d-d-doomed…"

"Don't think like that, Edd!" said May as she lifted her iron lance into the air and twirled it about her head. "We're definitely going to make it through this!"

"Yeah!" Ed exclaimed as he bounded through the camp, two swords strapped to his back. "We are the champions, my friend!"

"Listen up!" Delilah shouted as she stepped in close to the fire. The rest of the party circled around the flames and listened intently to her orders. "From what I understand, our enemy has got us trapped. There is little we can do to avoid fighting them at this point. I had Sarah do a quick reconnaissance of the enemy numbers, and they are all positioned to the east and north of us. We are outnumbered, as usual, but we are not beaten! For now, we are fighting with a purpose: we are fighting to free Konohal from the grip of tyranny and darkness!"

"FOR KONOHAAAAAAL!" cheered the party.

"FOR THE MOTHERLAAAAAAAAND!" Ed shouted as he boldly charged into the woods.

For a brief time, there was little action, as the party spread out to cover more distance and dispatch more enemies. Eddy and Delilah were working together, and they had Eddward, Nazz, Ed, and Lee to back them up. Kevin and Rolf were pressing through the woodlands side by side, each one talking excitedly about who should earn the most kills. Johnny, Sarah, May, and Jimmy brought up the rear, since they were not as powerful as the rest of the group. Their positions fixed and ready, Delilah gave a signal and told everyone to wait for the enemy to come to them.

The moments ticked away as the sound of foreign feet and hooves stomped through the forest, alerting the party to the locations of Elijah's rogue army. Delilah flicked her hand at Eddward and Ed, and told them to go quietly to the west. Nazz followed shortly thereafter. In the darkness, Ed couldn't see much, but he could hear just fine, so it was with his ears that he was able to avoid the lance that burst out of the trees. The tall boy stumbled backwards and drew both his swords in anticipation for the enemy's next move.

While the cavalier righted himself, Ed charged forward and slashed at the rider with his twin blades, breaking through the armor and cutting deep into the man's torso. His strike was back up by two arrows from Nazz, and then the enemy was finished with a blast of darkness from Eddward's hands.

"One down, who knows how many more to go," mumbled Ed as he ran deeper into the woods, Eddward and Nazz fighting to catch up to him.

***

"Proceed with caution, everyone!" whispered Delilah to the party. She softly stole through the inky darkness of the woods, keeping an eye on the nearby enemy forces, until she saw an attacker coming out from the trees. A mercenary smashed into the ground with a giant sword, easily the length of Delilah's body, and he snarled wickedly. One slash from Lee's lance was all it took to silence the man.

"Yer pretty tough now," Eddy mumbled to Lee.

"Thanks," she purred. "I've had practice."

The small party continued forward through the trees, stopping once to deal with two cavaliers that had come riding forward. Both the cavaliers wore dark grins on their faces, as if to say they knew what they were doing, and whole-heartedly agreed to the deed. One charged at Eddy with a steel sword, but the small boy was too fast for the horseman, and he leaped out of the path of the blade and jumped up onto the enemy's horse.

The bewildered enemy cried out, "What th-?!" but he was cut off by Eddy, who pulled the rider's head close to his face.

"Ye should've used Pythagoras' Theorem, cur," he hissed as he shoved a sword straight through the man's head from the bottom. Eddy snatched the steel sword the cavalier was carrying and swung it about him. Compared to an iron sword, it was heavier, and required more skill and strength to wield. Right now, however, this didn't matter to Eddy. All that mattered was finding that dog, Elijah, and making him pay for trying to kill Delilah.

He didn't notice the other cavalier until he felt the man's sword come down across his back, cutting him open like a fish. Eddy stumbled forward and fell to the ground, but Delilah and Lee were there to keep the cavalier from striking at him a second time. Lee used the butt end of her lance to knock the rider off his horse, and then Delilah shoved two swords straight into the man's belly, pinning him to the ground.

"There," she snarled, "that oughta hold you!"

She stole the cavalier's iron sword and ran deeper into the woods, her mind gone into a white rage. The family had been betrayed. Her knights, the royal knights who swore to protect her, were now under the grip of an enigmatic enemy who wanted nothing but to kill her. Delilah couldn't focus, but she snapped out of her trance when a lance cut into her side.

The thief girl looked up and saw that she had come across another pair of cavaliers, although these were more familiar to her. One on the right had rose-colored hair and one on the left was bald. Both were her friends at one point, or so she had thought.

"Sarai! Abram!" she called out to the two. "Why are you doing this?! Why attack me?!"

"Alaby, forgive us!" cried Sarai. "It is because Elijah threatened to bring harm onto our families if we didn't side with him!"

Abram grunted, "I did what my captain told me to do, plain and simple."

"Again with your following orders!" screamed Delilah. "Break the rules for once, Abram! You know this is wrong, yet you still refuse to back down and fight for the noble cause, the one you think is right!"

"I cannot ignore my captain's orders!"

"Then will you listen to mine?!" Delilah begged. The bald knight looked quizzically at her and then nodded.

"Of course," he said, "I shall do as my princess tells me. There is not a higher order in the land!"

Sarai glanced back and forth between Abram and Delilah and smiled. "Finally, we're reunited!" she exclaimed. Instantly, it seemed like they were different people, as though the malice and hatred from the enemy army was swept from them and replaced by the good will Delilah felt around her friends.

"Okay, let's move out!" she shouted with a smile on her face.

***

While Delilah and her group were moving through the woods, Kevin and Rolf had remained planted in one spot, drawing out all sorts of enemies from the necks of the woods. At the moment, they were surrounded on all sides by cavaliers, mercenaries, and fighters, each and every one of them rogue soldiers of Konohal, bearing the sacred crest of the royal family. The enemies all had a hungry look in their eyes, betraying their civilized appearances.

"So, Rolf," said Kevin to his shepherd friend, "you want to take the ones on the right and I'll take the ones on the left?"

"Yes, horse-riding Kevin boy," the blue-haired man whispered as he swung his axe in his hands.

"Okay, let's do this!"

Both men ran forth into the enemy fray, Kevin knocking a few away with the help of his mighty steed, Rolf blowing back his foes with his sheer brutality. Kevin stabbed his lance through the chest on a mercenary, and then he beat gouged the man's head with the weapon. Rolf was just as blood-thirsty, and he tore through his opponents with more reckless abandon than his friend. The son of a shepherd brought his axe down into the head of a fighter, and then he lopped the man's head off his body. Blood flew everywhere, and, then and there, the rogue knights swore that a demon had entered the world.

"You shall not take the son of a shepherd!" cried Rolf as he blocked a lance strike from a cavalier and then smashed his axe into the rider's side. The cavalier fell from his mount, and the horse, panicking, turned tail and fled into the forest, trampling over his master. Another cavalier attacked Rolf, with a sword this time, and he delivered a slice to Rolf's torso, cutting deep into his brown flesh. Rolf growled and grabbed onto the cavalier's arm with one hand, making sure that the cavalier could not pull away, and he raised his axe high over his head and tore off the soldier's arm. The enemy screamed and wailed in agony, but he was silenced by Rolf, who tore into him with his giant axe. What enemies were still there decided to all charge at once, but the young man just grinned mercilessly and tore into the enemy force.

Kevin, meanwhile, was faring well against his opponents, nimbly dodging blows left and right and then attacking without any mercy when he got the chance. He kept this attack pattern up until he was assaulted by a large fighter with a giant axe, who cut Kevin's lance arm. The boy cavalier growled in pain and dropped his lance to the ground.

"For you," he said, "I got something special."

The boy pulled an iron sword from his belt and swung it at the fighter, cutting him across the chest. His blow wasn't powerful enough to slay his foe, but he made sure to cover that when he attacked a second time.

***

May and her group were the only ones having some trouble getting through the forest, mostly because there were no flying enemies in the nearby area for the pegasus knight to combat. Since she was grounded, the only thing she could do was watch after Jimmy, who was the only unit that couldn't protect himself against the opposition. Sarah and Johnny were tearing into the land-bound enemies they came across, but May knew that they were getting tired. It wasn't very obvious, but Sarah was becoming slower with time, and Johnny was beginning to have trouble dodging attacks from his opponents.

"Jimmy!" said May. "Go to Sarah and heal her!"

"I'm on it!" the little boy cried as he ran across the battlefield to his friend, who was busy holding off a fighter who had just appeared. He touched Sarah's shoulder and chanted the healing spell, rejuvenating Sarah and allowing her to move speedily once again.

May was glad that they were able to fight once again, but she felt utterly useless in this situation. She felt like there was nothing she could do to help, and that's when the sound of large wings beating against the air greeted her ears. The blonde girl flew up above the trees and saw that there were some pegasus knights flying around an area where there was much shouting. A familiar howl of pain reached her ears, and May knew that she had to go and fight these rogue knights, for they were bringing harm to her beloved Ed.

"No one hurts Ed while I'm around!" she screamed as she flew through the air and struck one of the pegasus knights in the side. The blue-haired woman riding the winged horse toppled off the white steed and fell to the ground below, breaking her neck in the fall. May was attacked by another one of the knights, but Marigold, her horse, dodged away from the lance and gave May a clear shot at her opponent. She took a shot with her lance and managed to graze the enemy, but her lance fell from her sweat-soak palms and fell into the trees. Her opponent smiled cruelly and moved to attack May, but she only struck Marigold with her lance, because May had leaped from her saddle and landed on the back of the enemy's winged horse. The blonde girl winked and then punched her opponent in the face, and then threw her from her saddle.

This left just one knight left, and this woman was riding a horse that was twice the size of Marigold. May jumped off of the enemy horse and onto Marigold again, and she flew down to where her lance had landed and snatched it from the tree branches. She flew back into the air and immediately blocked an attack from the sole pegasus knight, who tried to impale May upon her lance. May was quicker, however, and she stabbed through her enemy's chest. The large woman on the large horse gasped for air and then died, the blood flowing freely onto her black horse, who flew into the air and away from the battlefield.

With all her enemies defeated, May smiled with pride and flew back to her group. She had stood by her man.

***

It wasn't long before Delilah made it through the forest and came to the area where Elijah was waiting. He had wrapped his hand in white cloth, but he did not seem any worse off. In fact, he seemed almost content with his situation. The dastardly traitor sat there, on his horse, smirking at Delilah and her friends, all of whom had finally congregated in the field where Elijah was.

"This is your last chance, Elijah," Delilah growled. "Reject the Twilight Army and join the side of justice once again!"

"No chance of that happening, love," the proud cavalier said. "Sarai and Abram, you two are hereby excommunicated from the Konohal Army. Your deaths shall be your final compensation."

"Damn you, Captain, sir!" Abram shouted at the young man. "You cannot do this!"

"I can, and I shall."

Delilah sighed in sadness and gripped her iron sword tightly. "Well, then, you leave me no choice. I shall have to-"

"He's mine!"

Eddy ran forward and slashed at Elijah, who tried to dodge the swift attack but only managed to get away with a tear in his armor. The short thief growled in fury, like a wild beast. "Nobody try n' help me!" he shouted to the party. Everyone nodded and decided it would be best to leave Eddy to his devices.

Elijah chuckled. "You…you honestly think you have a chance against me? I am the greatest swordsman the kingdom of Konohal has ever known!"

The cavalier began to circle around Eddy, moving faster than Eddy could react. Elijah drew his lance and attacked the boy with a fearsome blow that impaled Eddy. His attack had just barely missed his vital organs, but there was still a hole, the size of a fist, in his chest.

Eddy howled in agony, but got up and moved to attack again. This time, the feeling of wanting to protect Delilah was all that he felt, and he leaped into the air and spun around in a circle before setting down on the ground and striking at Elijah. His strike tore into Elijah's armor and left him with a giant gash across his chest.

Elijah began to cough up blood. "How…" he wheezed, "How are you…so strong?"

"I…got somethin'…worth fightin' fer," Eddy replied.

"Oh…" Elijah fell from his saddle and landed on the ground, face-first. He was dead before he even hit the dirt. As the blood pooled around him, Delilah walked over to the body and knelt beside it.

"Elijah," she asked softly, "why did you have to do this? Why…why did it have to be like this?"

Nazz put a hand on Delilah's shoulder and told her, "We can bury him, if you want."

The princess dried her eyes and said, "Yes…I would like that very much."

***

"The knight fought bravely against the massive ogre, but he managed to triumph over the foul beast and rescue the nymph from her wicked captor. And the two of them lived happily ever after."

Lorence sighed with happiness and looked down at Philomena. She was sound asleep. Her light hair fell upon her pillow in a mess. The good king's face crinkled into a smile and he brushed his daughter's hair away from her face. He then took her blanket and pulled it up to Philomena's tiny chin and gave her a kiss upon the forehead.

"Good night, little nymph," he said as he got up from her bed and made his way to the door. Before he left, Lorence blew out the candle that flickered beside the bed. He shut it softly, so that Philomena's rest need not be disturbed.


	11. Chapter 8: The Nomadic Mage

_Nearing the capital of Konohal, Delilah and her party made a stop for the night in the dark Twili woods. There, she revealed her full identity as Princess Alaby of the Royal Family, and that she was on a mission to save her little sister, Philomena, from death at the hands of the treacherous Royal Council. Wandering off by her self, Delilah was found by Elijah, Captain of the Guard at Konohal Palace; the reunion was cut short by Elijah's betrayal to the princess. Delilah fought back against the rogue knights of Konohal and came across Sarai and Abram, two cavaliers that were once her friends; she quickly recruited them to her side. Eddy slew Elijah in a fit of rage later that evening._

_Now the princess and her friends are getting closer to the palace every day, but will they be able to prevent the Council's coup?_

**Chapter 8: The Nomadic Mage**

Underneath the twilight sky, surrounded on all sides by her fallen comrades and allies, her body broken and slowly dying, Delilah could only watch as the man in crimson armor stabbed his grand sword through Ed's chest, killing the boy once and for all. The man in crimson armor laughed cruelly as he kicked Ed's corpse to the ground. He saw Delilah watching him from afar, and he strode across the blood-strewn land towards her, his sword glistening with life force.

Delilah wanted to scream, to make him go away, but no voice came from her throat, as if there were something keeping her from speaking. The man now stood directly over her. She could see his browned skin, see every wrinkle in the tanned flesh. He reeked of death.

The cruel man raised his sword high above his head and brought it down in one fell swoop…

***

With a scream, Delilah awoke from her nightmare. She was not on a battlefield. She was not surrounded by corpses. Instead, she was in a tent, surrounded by some of the female members of her party. May was to her far left and Lee next to her sister, while Nazz was to her far right and Sarah was curled up beside her. Delilah touched her neck, where the man in her nightmare had swung his blade. Her head was still attached. There was not even a scar.

Wearily, Delilah placed a hand on her forehead and wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed there. This was the sixth night now where she had this dream: fighting a battle against a massive enemy, her friends and companions all dying before her eyes…could this be an omen?

"Whatever it is," Delilah sighed, "it's keeping me from sleeping. I'll just go relieve Sarai and Eddward from their post."

Slowly, so as not to wake the slumbering girls beside her, Delilah untied the knot on the tent's flaps and pulled the awning open. She gripped her iron sword at her side, so as to avoid being caught in an ambush. When she stepped outside, she took in a deep breath of the evening air. Autumn had come to Konohal, and with it came cool wind that nipped gently at Delilah's ivory skin. It was while staring up into the evening sky, drinking in the cool night air that the cloaked figure appeared on the other side of the camp. Right away, Delilah's hand reached for her sword. She scowled at the mysterious figure.

"Who are you?!" she shouted at the shrouded figure. If this were to escalate into a battle, she wanted everyone to be awake and fighting by her side.

"Relax," said the figure in a young-sounding voice. "I'm a friend."

A hand reached out from the cloak and pulled back the hood, revealing the familiar figure underneath. It was a boy, no more than twelve years of age, who had pale skin like Delilah's. His head was shaved, and in the place of hair was a blue tattoo of an arrow that ran all the way from the boy's brow down the back of his neck. He fully removed his dusty cloak, revealing his gold and orange monk uniform underneath. The blue arrow tattoos ran down his arms as well, and they were even on his feet. The boy's face was full of kindness and sorrow.

Delilah got down on one knee and bowed her head. "Avatar Aang, my apologies. I feared you were an enemy."

Aang smiled. "Don't worry, Alaby! It's not as though you actually attacked me, right?"

The princess chuckled awkwardly as she stood back up. She dusted off her leggings and walked over to Aang. "It's so good to see you, Aang," she said as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Honestly, when was the last time I saw you?"

"Three years. I suppose it's been a while." Aang's smile dimmed. "I have something I need to talk with you about, Alaby…"

"What is it, Aang?"

"It concerns…the Twilight Army."

Delilah's eyes grew wide with terror. The Twilight Army…her and her friends had encountered some of their forces twice already. She recognized the armor they wore, and knew that it was the armor the man from her nightmares wore as well. Before she could ask Aang what he meant, Eddward and Sarai appeared through the trees, their weapons at ready.

Sarai exclaimed, "Who are you?! What are you doing with Pri- I mean Captain Delilah?!"

"Answer the question!" shouted Eddward.

The cries of Delilah, Eddward, and Sarai were enough to rouse the other members of the party, and they quickly burst from their tents. Each gripped their weapons in hand. Aang looked around and sighed.

"I see I have some explaining to do," said the young mage.

"Please, do, Bald-Headed-Monk Boy!" Rolf growled.

Turning his back to the armed fighters, Aang walked towards the fire and stood on the opposite side of the flames from Delilah. He gestured to the ground with his hands, and everyone sat upon the earth floor. The boy adjusted the collar on his monk's robes, fidgeting a little, before Eddy yelled at him.

"Get on with it, baldy!" Eddy shouted.

"Fine, fine!" Aang said hurriedly.

"Like I told Alaby just now, I come with news concerning the Twilight Army. I am sure you have all heard of the rebel attacks occurring around the Lygriba countryside…the attacks are coming from the same source. They are a faction of rogue soldiers from Teratea, the kingdom in the desert, and they are led by a man from the desert tribes, Danaim. I don't know his exact reason for leaving the desert and attacking the nations, but I do know that his word has spread to the various rulers of Konohal.

"Already, there seems to be trouble stirring in the kingdoms. I tried to reach a friend of mine in the kingdom by the sea, Poseida, and we were barely able to escape...it appears as though the entire tribe is going to erupt into a civil war. Again, I reached out to the prince of Woldor, but he stubbornly refuses to cooperate with me and supply help for the other nations. While I have not yet been to Zumirba or Ryadina, there are mutterings in the air that there is to be a political upheaval in those lands."

"And what of Konohal?" asked Delilah. "Have you any news of my family?"

Aang shook his head. "No…I don't know anything about the situation in Konohal palace. I wish I could do more for you, Alaby, but right now, all I know is that there is a great disturbance in the realm of spirits. Something horrifying is going to occur soon, and unless we do something, Lygriba will fall to the vengeful demon hordes of T'rratus."

"S-s-s-s-so," Jimmy stammered, "we're t-t-t-talking about-t-t-t-t d-d-de-demons?!"

"Yes," Aang said gravely. "It is my belief that Danaim means to eradicate Lygriba with the help of the fallen demons of the past. There's a-"

"Hold on," Nazz whispered loudly. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what, Nazz?" asked Kevin.

The party looked deep into the woods and listened closely for any source of noise. From the bowels of the dark trees came the sound of growling and heavy footfalls. It seemed as though the noises were getting closer and closer by the second. The party all gripped their weapons close to them, to prepare them for an attack. Suddenly, without warning, a hulking beast burst from the trees and lumbered into the camp, smashing the tents in the process. The monster looked to be a fabled ogre of myth, towering over the rest of the party by several feet. Its legs were like thick tree trunks, its arms like great barrels. It reared back its great head and let out a roar, then raised its great fists into the air.

Aang was quicker than the powerful monster was. He nimbly leaped through the air and landed just out of the ogre's reach. The monk brought his hands together and began to chant.

"Aeros…nebulos…feng!"

The air around Aang began to spin rapidly and split into blades of green energy. Each of the blades was hurled through the air at the giant ogre, cutting deep into its flesh with each strike. The giant monster howled in pain and agony until one blade lopped its ugly head from its neck. Each member of the party was in awe of how Aang had been able to kill the ogre so quickly.

Just as quickly as he had appeared before the ogre, Aang was back before Delilah's friends at the fire.

"There's going to be more of them," said Aang cautiously. "We need to attack them with stealth, moving swiftly and silently, so that they don't know what hit them."

"A silent battle, basically?" asked Delilah. She looked amongst her party members. "Going to be tough with this bunch!"

***

Once Aang and Delilah had finished assigning everyone to a position, the party disbanded and moved out into the deep of the woods. Ed, Eddward and Eddy were to work together, with May and Lee moving with them for mobility and for defense, respectively. Johnny moved with Kevin, Nazz, and Rolf, so as to provide them with magical support. Aang and Delilah were to take the front, with Sarai, Abram, and Sarah giving them support. Jimmy, the one healer of the party, would be switching from group to group, with Abram and Sarah giving him protection along the way.

Delilah pressed forward with her group, trekking deep through the woods in search of the demons hiding in the darkness. Before long, they came upon a horde of dire wolves prowling about. Abram caught Sarai grimacing, and the older knight scowled at her and began to make signs with his hands. It was a unique system that the knights of Konohal used to communicate in such situations.

"What worries you, rookie?"

"I am not sure if I can strike a dire wolf, sir."

"Yes, they are quite fast, and-"

"No, I mean they are such beautiful creatures, right?"

Abram grunted and lightly rapped Sarai on the head with his glove. He gestured at Delilah, who responded with a nod. Quickly, the cavalier rode out into the horde of wolves, striking one down instantly with his lance. The other wolves scattered when they saw their comrade fall, which offered the others a chance to come out and attack the wolves. Aang leaped out and shot a bolt of fire from his fingers, which incinerated one beast and singed another. The one left burned was gutted by Delilah, who slashed deep into the wolf with her iron sword. Sarah hit one wolf in the leg, but it was not enough to fell the wretched beast, so Sarah had to parry against a paw swipe from the savage wolf. The girl blocked the attack with her blade and stabbed upwards through the wolf's head, killing it instantly.

When it came time for Sarai to attack, her horse leaped out from the bushes, but she fell from its saddle and landed on the ground. Her lance fell from her hands and rolled away from her, right towards a dire wolf. Sarai rubbed her sore back and got up, but she was immediately attacked by a dire wolf. She held back its powerful jaws with all her strength, but she was still bitten in the hand from one of its attacks. Abram knocked the wolf away with a smack of his lance, allowing Sarai the chance to pull her sword from its sheath. She squeezed her eyes shut and lopped off the wolf's head in one fell swoop. She opened one eye hesitantly and then looked away for fear of vomiting at the sight of the dead beast.

"So," Sarah chuckled as she wiped her sword clean on her red cloak, "looks like these dogs won't have their night, eh?" This prompted Sarai to release all her light dinner of rations upon the base of a tree.

"I can fix that!" said Jimmy as he rushed over and healed Sarai's hand.

***

While Delilah and her group battled against the dire wolves, Kevin led his group deeper into the woods. When they came upon a group of shuffling undeads, Kevin raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Never thought we'd see these things again, right, Rolf?" he whispered quietly to the fighter beside him.

"The son of a shepherd knew that this day would come again, Kevin Boy," replied Rolf.

"Pipe down, you two!" Nazz whispered to her companions. "Even if these things are nothing but rotting piles of flesh, we still need to keep quiet, in case they've got some friends around."

"Gotcha!" Johnny said in response. He crept out from the bushes and flipped open his magic tome. With a wave of his hand, the mage boy created a fireball that engulfed the nearest undead in flames. It howled in agony as the magic fire tore apart its flesh, alerting the other undeads to the location of the party members.

Kevin growled, "Great job ruining the element of surprise, Johnny." He burst out from the protection of the trees and gored the nearest undead with his lance, and then hacked its head off with his iron sword. When he noticed Nazz was still hiding in the trees, Kevin looked over to Rolf.

"Protect Nazz!" his eyes screamed.

The blue-haired fighter nodded his head in response, and he moved himself so that he was blocking the path to the tree. When one undead journeyed too close to him, Rolf swung his axe and cleaved the beast from head to toe. Nazz fired an arrow straight through the skull of the next undead, and fired a second one into the place where its heart would be. It fell to the forest floor, dead once more. The shepherd looked up into the branches of the trees at the blonde archer.

"Nice shot, blonde archer!" Rolf said excitedly.

"Gee, thanks, Rolf!" she replied. "Hey, what's that?"

Through the bushes across from them came a horde of undeads, lurching forward with bloodthirsty scowls on their faces.

Nazz's eye twitched in frustration. "I knew you imbeciles were too loud…" she muttered as she notched another arrow to her bow.

***

"I told you, Eddy, you were being too loud!"

Just like Nazz and the others, the Ed boys found themselves surrounded by the forces of darkness, pinned on all sides by dire wolves and undeads alike. The boys were all scarred from the ongoing fight, Ed and Eddy taking most of the damage. While there came some support from May and Lee, the boys were hoping to avoid having the girls become embroiled in the battle themselves.

"Yeah, yeah…" the short thief grumbled. "At least we ain't dead yet."

"I…feel woozy…you guys," said Ed as he stumbled on his feet after chopping an undead apart. "Think…I need…to rest…"

"Don't fall asleep, Big Ed!" May shouted as she threw a lance through a dire wolf. "I…we need you!"

Eddward reached into his hip satchel and fished around for an herb. Unfortunately, there wasn't a single leaf left inside. Cursing inwardly, he shouted to Ed, "Ed! I haven't got a single herb left, so you must use a vulnerary!"

Ed's eyes snapped open somewhat.

"No thanks, Double D!" the tall boy chuckled stupidly. "I…I feel better already…"

"ED!" Eddy shrieked as he fought off a dire wolf's attack, "If you don't hurry and drink the bloody medicine, we're gonna die!"

"I'll…only drink it if…Eddy has one…too!"

"For Pete's SAKE!" Lee shouted. "Fine! Eddy, drink the vulnerary!"

Eddy paused after cutting the wolf's head open. "But…" he groaned, "but it's so nasty…"

"Bloody hell!" May cried out as she lopped the head off an undead. "Drink the medicine, Eddy, or so help me, I'll get Marie to come after you!"

With the mere mention of the other sister's name, Eddy began quaking in his boots. "Fine!" he said, "Give me the vulnerary!" Eddward passed a bottle of the brown liquid to him and Ed, who needed help uncorking the bottle.

The two boys raised the bottles to each other. They both said, "Cheers," before downing the medicine. Instantly, the boys seemed to get better, their wounds healing and closing up.

Ed held his sword up into the air with one hand. "I feel better already!" he shouted.

"I sincerely hope so," Eddward said anxiously. "Because we're going to need all the muscle we can get!"

Out from the trees came a giant ogre, like the one that had invaded the camp beforehand, smashing its way towards the group. It held in its gnarly hands a giant wooden club, easily twice the size of Ed. The beast roared, baring its yellowed teeth, and swung its club at Lee, throwing the heavily-armored girl back into a large tree.

"Lee!" May screamed before narrowly avoiding a swing from the wooden club.

"We need some help here!" Eddward shouted as he began preparing the Flux spell.

Just then, Sarai, Sarah, Abram and Jimmy all burst out from the trees, their weapons ready, while Delilah and Aang came from above in a sneak attack. Delilah leaped onto the ogre's meaty shoulders and began stabbing into the monster's back, while Aang launched miniature fireballs at the ogre. Abram and Sarah both drew close for an attack on the monster, and the two of them slashed across the ogre's knees with their swords. Despite all the attacks being launched at it, the monster stood tall and unwavering, not yielding at all to the attacks of the party.

"How do we kill this thing?!" Eddy shouted as he threw a knife straight into the beast's eye.

"With time and patience," said Rolf as he slammed his axe into the beast's back. He appeared with Kevin, Nazz, and Johnny, all of whom were looking worse for the wear, particularly Kevin.

"All melee fighters: gather around the ogre and start hitting it with everything you've got!" Delilah exclaimed at the top of her lungs. "Long-range attackers: get behind a melee fighter and let loose!"

With the plan in mind, everyone began an all-out attack on the ogre. Sarah continuously maneuvered around its hulking body, tearing away at the gruesome flesh with her blade, while Abram worked beside her, stabbing at it with his iron lance. Delilah and Eddy worked hand in hand, dodging the beast's attacks and slicing into it whenever they saw an opening. Despite their weariness, Ed and Rolf repeatedly struck at the monster with their weapons, causing significant damage. Nazz's arrows and Johnny's, Eddward's and Aang's magic complimented the onslaught nicely, creating a powerful strike that would tear any ordinary foe to shreds. Finally, at long last, the ogre fell to its knees, brutally beaten by all the warriors surrounding it. Lee moved through the crowd and, with a mighty strike, planted her lance directly into the ogre's head, striking its brain and killing it instantly.

As the entire group recovered and rested, Eddy looked up and asked, "Well, that didn't take very long, did it?"

"No, and I'm glad for it," Aang replied as he caught his breath. "I can't stand having to kill living things. It sickens me sometimes."

"It's the way of the world, kiddo," Eddy remarked. "I'll tell ya about it some other time."

"So, Princess," Sarai asked to Delilah, "what do we do now?"

"Now? Now we head straight to the palace and rescue my family. Come!" the thief girl exclaimed as she sheathed her sword. "We'll rest up and move out by morning's break! To KONOHAL!"

***

In the throne room of the ancient Konohal Palace sits a lonely figure. Queen Gertrude sits atop her velvet throne, pondering in the dead of night. She has had a vision of a great battle in no more than a day's time. One of those battling would be her daughter, Alaby, but the other…the other would be the wretched demon from Teratea.

"My love," asks Lorence as he strides into the room, Philomena sleeping in his arms, "why did you ask that I bring our daughter here?"

"There will be a battle on the morrow, Lorence," the queen replies. "If we stay here, we will die. The council will kill us."

"You need not worry about Alaby, Gertrude," says the king. "I have sent word out to our allies. There will be help from our friends. Alaby will prevail, you'll see. Tomorrow…shall be a day that changes this land forever…

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	12. Chapter 9: Battle at Castle Midoria

_While resting in the forests of Konohal for the night, Delilah and her party are greeted by the nomadic mage known as Aang, who brings news of the coming of the Twilight Army. The vile army has begun to overtake many lands, including the home of the fire prince, Zuko. After quickly defeating a small army of monsters that attacked from the thick of the forest, Delilah set out for Castle Midoria, the place she once called home, and where she hopes to find her family alive and well. _

_But, as the day she returns draws ever closer, the treacherous Konohal Council begins watching her progress with anxiousness. They have prepared a resistance against the vengeful princess, receiving aid from the forces of the ever-growing Twilight Army. As she marches, Delilah fears for the lives of her friends in the coming battle. She has no idea that there are powerful allies that will be joining her in the battle…_

**Chapter 9: Battle at Castle Midoria**

Far and wide, across the entire continent of Lygriba, peasants and rich men alike would flock to see the tall and magnificent structure that was Castle Midoria, home to the royal family, the members of the High Council, and the royal army. It stood higher than the clock tower in Port Ramke in Ryadina, covered more land than the aged Waldor Abbey, and had withstood the tests of time for well over five hundred years. The palace was built of stone harvested from the Konohal Valley and wood from the Eterna Tree, which was said to have been blessed by the gods above. Despite attacks from enemies of all kinds since its construction, the palace had been rebuilt time and time again, making it stand out as a testament to the fortitude and strength of Konohal's people.

The palace grounds were vast, and were divided by a stone wall so that the army might train themselves on one side while the rest of the residents and attendants may go about their business or relax beneath the apple orchard. To an outsider, it was quite odd to see the differences between the two sites: the army's side was filled with the strongest fighters in the land, while the other side consisted of people simply enjoying themselves during the day. And, even during the occupation of the Twilight Army in Konohal and the Council's secret coup, there was still a festival held once every two months in the peaceful grounds.

Inside the great palace, there were great paintings, statues, tapestries, and all sorts of arts reflecting the days gone by in Konohal's history. There was a kitchen where the staff was working almost around the clock, a sick ward where the injured and ill were put to bed and given attention, and a weapons storage room where the army's weapons were kept. There was a library filled with tomes from all over the world, a numerous amount of rooms for all that might sleep in the palace, and a chamber where the palace musicians and traveling theatres might perform for the family or for a festival. And, though no one, save for the royal family, knew of it and its location, there was a room of treasures buried deep under the palace, where countless artifacts, ancient weapons and scrolls were said to remain.

At the heart of the palace, on the second floor, there was the throne room, where King Lorence, Queen Gertrude, and the young princesses, Alaby and Philomena, would commune with the council so that they might hear the problems of their countrymen day in and day out. The royal thrones were at the head of the room, facing the grand oak doors where people enter and leave, while the council's seats were to the left and the right. These forces, together, had saved from Konohal from ruin time and again.

On a day before Alaby's return to the palace, however, the royal family was not in the throne room, nor was the council there either. They were not in the peaceful grounds, nor the kitchen, nor the sick ward, nor any of the bedrooms, nor the library, nor the chamber, nor the weapons room. There were no servants wandering the halls today; instead, soldiers were searching the halls for any sign of the royal family at the command of the High Council. The members of the council were hidden away in their secret meeting room, where they were gathered around the round table at the center of the room.

"What shall we do about Alaby?" asked one. "We have learned that the party we sent after her before has been destroyed."

"She is becoming a problem, Hamilton," said another. "What say you?"

All eyes turned to a tall man, who sat with a contented smile on his face. His gray hair hung about his face in curls, matching his curled beard and mustache. He wore a brilliant purple tunic, with a green cape draped across his back, purple pants, and polished green boots, along with green gloves on his hands. Hamilton was the councilman who had been on the council for the longest, for he was popular amongst the people. Having been a former general in the Konohal Army, he had the respect of the soldiers and countless countrymen, but he was also known for having fixed a great financial scare amongst the Merchants Guild. Some believed that he was blessed by the gods with his incredible physique: he towered over most men, and he was still stronger than many a man in the royal army.

"We need not worry about her, my friends," said Hamilton to the council. "Alaby's 'army', as our scout has told us, consists of nothing more than some young children, like herself. How they have managed to get this far surprises even myself, but we need not worry, for we have help in the form of our allies in the Twilight Army.

"Know this: we will change Konohal, nay, the world! My friends, we shall bring a new age into this world. We shall be recognized as heralds, ushering in the destined future of Lygriba. We shall be called heroes!"

The councilmen all cheered and applauded Hamilton and his words. Hamilton smiled and continued speaking once the uproar had died down. "I have word that Alaby is approaching the castle, and shall be here within a matter of days. Before you begin to fret, I assure you, we are going to be well prepared for any attack she might make now. The gods smile on us, fellows. Let us prepare ourselves for whatever the rebellious princess might make."

A soldier burst into the room. "My apologies, councilmen, but we have found no traces of the royal family. They seem to have vanished away in the night!"

"Impossible! We have had watchmen around the palace at all times!"

"Aye, they could not have escaped."

Hamilton said, "They must be hiding within the treasure room. No one has access to it, save for the royal family. So, it seems the plan has changed, fellows. Let us draw Alaby into the palace, under the notion that, should she refuse the entry into the treasure room, we will kill her family."

"A trap! Brilliant!"

Hamilton turned to the soldier and said to him, "Tell the captain that we must relocate all forces into the palace. I don't want to see a single soldier outside, understood?"

"Yes, councilman." His orders given to him, the soldier left the room.

One of the councilmen asked Hamilton, "What do we do now, Hamilton?"

"Now, my friends, we wait. Let Alaby come to us." He sat back into his chair, an unsettling smile spread across his face.

***

Dusk found Delilah and her party marching across the woodlands of Konohal, their path lit by torches they carried themselves.

"Come on, ya bunch of ninnies!" Eddy exclaimed as he ran ahead of the party. "We're still a couple o' days from the castle!" The only response he received was a javelin that barely missed his head.

"Pipe down, will ya?!" Kevin shouted as he rode past Eddy. "You want to draw out any more enemies?"

"The both of you, knock it off!" Delilah slapped Eddy across the head, and then rapped Kevin across the leg with the hilt of her sword. She walked past the party members before coming to a stop at the foot of the hill they were crossing.

"Fine. I do apologize, love," said Eddy.

Delilah glared at him. "Now THAT was a lie," she said with a smirk.

"Yer getting' better at pickin' that stuff up," Eddy told her. "I'm impressed"

"Let's rest here for the night, everyone!"

Ever since their battle with the monsters deep in the woods, the party had been drawing closer and closer to the Midoria Town, which lay not far from the palace grounds. They were not far from the town now; in fact, they were only two days time away from the town. After travelling for nearly three days straight, Delilah and her friends found it hard to believe that they were close to the end of their long.

Each member of the party sat down on the forest floor, Rolf, Abram and Ed passing out food and water for everyone. While everyone ate and drank, Johnny climbed up a nearby tree so he could get a lay of the land. He held up his hands and created a ball of fire the size of his fists. The young mage peered out over the landscape, taking in the vast nighttime world. From his viewpoint, the tanned boy could see Midoria standing in the distance. He could see the sleepy town and the giant palace, which seemed to be so much more foreboding in the dead of the night.

"Boy, we're getting closer and closer every day! We're almost there!" He scampered down from the branches of the tall tree and landed beside May, startling the pegasus knight.

"Watch where you're falling, wood boy!"

"Please, settle down! I'm trying to study this tome," said Eddward as he leafed through an old, gray book.

"How're you finding that, Double D?" asked Aang as he passed by the shaman.

"It's very intriguing, uh…Avatar," he replied. "My thanks for giving us spell casters these new tomes. I've been searching for a new spell since I noticed all the damage done to my Flux book."

Aang grinned. "You don't need to call me "Avatar", Double D! And I thought that you all would need some magic books, what with how often you all must fight."

"Very well then. 'Aang' it is. But why do you call me "Double D"?"

"You're name is spelled with two "dees" rather than one, yes?"

"But-"

"I like it, Ghostface."

"Me too, Eddward!

"It's a very unique name, yes!"

"It's a keeper, for sure."

Before he knew it, all the members in the party were agreeing with Aang, and calling Eddward "Double D". Not used to so much attention, the shaman ducked away in the confines of his robes, a crimson blush on his face. Nazz chuckled at her friend's actions while she notched tightened the string on her bow.

***

Off in one corner of the small camp, Jimmy was playing with a small doll, made to look like a princess, with Sarah, who had a similar toy. The two young soldiers often played together when the company was allowed to rest, though they did so in secret, as Jimmy was sometimes teased for playing with dolls. Tonight, however, something was troubling Jimmy. He had a distant look on his face, his eyes unfocused, his lips twitching slightly.

"What's wrong, Jimmy?" Sarah asked, concerned for her friend.

"Oh, Sarah," Jimmy replied, "what good are we to the party as we are right now? We're not even on the class system, that's how low we are! What are we doing here?!"

Sarah dropped her doll and wrapped Jimmy in her arms. "Don't worry, we have our purpose here. Think about it: we've both gotten so much stronger and better at our jobs since we joined, so it's only a matter of time before we're given a promotion in rank!"

Jimmy pulled out of Sarah's embrace and wiped away the tears that were forming in his eyes. "Th-Thank you, Sarah. I really needed that."

"Any time, Jimmy."

The two children began to play with their dolls again, but Jimmy interrupted with a question.

"What class do you want to be when you rank up, Sarah?" he asked softly.

"Probably a myrmidon. Those people are unbelievable! What about you, Jimmy?"

"I'm not sure…as things stand right now, I can only be a priest or a monk."

"Which do you like more?"

"I've always detested violence, you know that!"

"Then you should be a priest!"

"Wow! Imagine, me being a priest…"

***

A few hours passed and the party was slumbering. The only ones awake were Abram, Sarai, and Delilah, as they were the ones keeping the night watch first. With two of her closest friends at her side, Delilah felt much more secure and at home than she had in months. Sarai was humming a traditional Konohal song to herself while Abram kept all his attention on the landscape. Delilah remembered the situation being similar when she had visited the pair of cavaliers while they were still at the castle. Even a few years ago, Sarai still sang songs while Abram kept to himself.

"Feels so familiar," Delilah mumbled as she curled herself into a ball to warm herself from the night air.

"Did you say something, Alaby?" Sarai asked.

"Uh, no…sorry."

The sound of approaching footsteps came from behind the watchmen, and Delilah turned to see Aang, Eddward, Ed, and Eddy walking over to their group. Aang seemed to be very tired, while the three Ed boys seemed anxious and unnerved, even Eddy.

"What's got you all up right now?" Delilah asked her friends.

"Couldn't sleep," said Aang as he sat down on the ground with his legs crossed.

"Same," the Eds all replied.

Delilah motioned for them to join her on the ground. "Take a seat. Go on, it's not quicksand!" Ed, Eddward, and Eddy placed themselves in front of the watchmen, facing up into the night sky.

There was a moment of silence before Eddy decided to speak. "Y'know, it's been nearly a month since we've started travelling together."

"Gosh, has it really been so long?" asked Eddward. "It feels like it's been a year or more!"

"It has been fun times, with gravy and buttered toast for all to enjoy!" exclaimed Ed as he leaned back and laid his head on the cool grass.

"It sure has, Ed…it sure has."

The runaway princess looked back and forth between the boys before asking, "What do you suppose you're going to do after all this? Will you boys go back to wandering aimlessly?"

"Probably," Eddy replied without looking away from the stars in the sky. "There's a fool born every minute, y'know, and I won't rest until I fleece every last one o' them."

"I've really nowhere else to go," said Eddward, "so I'll continue my vagabond life."

"Same for me, Madame McGee," Ed said with a smile.

Aang looked up at the moon before he answered, "I'm heading to Waldor to see what I can do about the problems there."

"Right," Delilah groaned, "the Twilight Army. What will we do about them?"

"Fight them to the end, I suppose. We can't let them have their way with Lygriba."

For the first time, Abram spoke to the group, breaking his vigilant watch. "Princess Alaby," he said, "you need not concern yourself with such matters. Tell your father, King Lorence, and he shall send out an army to combat these fiendish rogues."

"I don't think it's that simple," Delilah replied. "If we are to believe what Fox and Elijah said, their forces may have already infiltrated the armies of the other nations' armies. We don't want to spill any more innocent blood."

"Still, Alaby," Sarai said, "we can't have you going out across Lygriba, trying to play the hero. Your parents would absolutely kill us if we let you go!"

"She wouldn't be alone! We'd go with her, playing the heroes! Save the kingdom, save the world!" Ed cheered as he jumped up off the ground.

Eddward sat up and said, "Indeed. We're a team; you could never break us apart!"

"And if yer parents don't like it," Eddy said with a smirk, "well, we can just sneak out of the castle in the dead of the night, easy as that."

"You devil! I would never allow it!" Abram shouted as his hand reached for his sword.

"I would," Sarai exclaimed, "as long as you're willing to take me too!"

"Sure!" said Eddy. "The more, the merrier!"

Abram let out a sigh of indignation before he gruffly said, "Fine. I suppose, if I am to die, it should be protecting you, princess."

A smile spread across Delilah's face. "Thank you, everyone. Aang, I think this settles things. Once we free Castle Midoria, we'll set out for Waldor. What do you plan to do after that?"

"We'll head to Poseida," the bald mage told the group, "I've got some friends out there who've told me there's some trouble with the more powerful tribes. That's what comes after Waldor. But what will we do about Ryadina, Zumirba and Teratea?"

"We'll think of something, Aang," Delilah said as she looked up at the moon. "We'll save Lygriba, no matter what."

***

The next morning, in the small castle town of Midoria, an old vegetable vendor sat at the bench behind his booth, eyeing his produce carefully. He watched as the citizens traveled to and from the various houses and booths and shops on the street, and he kept an eye on all the people he could see. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary for him, until three people in hooded cloaks came up to his booth. The vegetable vendor instantly became nervous, beads of nervous sweat forming on his brow while the cloaked people spoke to each other in whispers.

Each one wore a cloak that was of a different color: red, blue, and green. They all seemed to be of similar height, though the one in the blue cloak seemed to be slightly taller. What made the vendor nervous was that each one was carrying a weapon: the one in red had a pair of broadswords strapped to his back, the one in blue carried an axe in his hands, and the one in green held a lance delicately in his or her (the vendor could not tell) hands.

The one in red spoke first. The person spoke with a very soft voice, "Sir, we'd like to have a cabbage, please." Judging by the person's vocal quality, it was clear the person was a young man.

"C-C-Certainly," the vendor stammered as he reached for the gold in the person's hands.

"Just one?!" the one in blue asked incredulously. "But I'm hungry! And we need meat, not vegetables!"

"You always think we need meat, Sokka," the one in green said. The voice quality meant that the person in the cloak was a young lady.

"Suki, I've explained this before: I come from a tribe that lives off of meat. Whenever the bullfish don't show up in the spring, we starve. I need meat!"

The one in red sighed. "Both of you, knock it off. We're nearly at our destination; keep it together until then." He picked up a large cabbage, examined it, nodded at the vendor, and then walked off. His companions followed him as they walked down the dirt road that led to the palace.

***

At dawn, a day later, Delilah and her party stealthily made their way to the castle walls under the cover of darkness. Quietly, they crept up to the outer walls, where Delilah made an observation.

"Surely the guards atop the ramparts would have noticed us," she mentioned to Eddy, who ran beside her.

"So they're unprepared for us. Big deal!" the short thief replied.

They came upon a tall and wide pair of wooden doors that were the only means of entering the great palace. Eddy and Delilah, being thieves, managed to pick the locks on the great doors, yet they refused to budge.

"Ed, Rolf, smash the doors open!" Delilah commanded.

"Aye, Princess Delilah-Alaby!"

"Aye-aye, cap-ee-tan!"

The fighter and the mercenary both smashed through the wooden doors with ease and the party entered the training grounds. Shockingly, there was no one in the grounds, not a single soul to be found. There were torches that were slowly dying and flags that fluttered in the slight wind, but nothing else was there.

"Looks like we got lucky, huh?" Eddy asked as he scoped out the grounds.

"Inconceivable," Eddward replied. "Surely the High Council would know that we were coming. We slew an entire group of Konohal knights!"

"Yes, something seems wrong here," Nazz whispered, "like we're walking into a trap or something."

"Everyone, stay on your guard," Delilah warned the party as they moved slowly and silently through the grounds.

They came upon another pair of doors, although these opened as soon as Eddy and Delilah picked the locks. Lee and Kevin pushed the doors open and the party entered the peaceful grounds, where the early morning wind blew through the trees and flowers, stirring them around. Not a soul was to be found in the place.

"This gets stranger and stranger," May whispered anxiously as she flew lightly through the air on her pegasus.

"Sarah, I'm frightened!" Jimmy whimpered softly.

"It's okay, Jimmy," Sarah answered him as she pulled him close. "Nothing bad is going to happen to us. We're heroes, after all."

Up the stone stairs and in through the palace doors they went, the entire party sweating nervously. The more faint of heart in the group were shivering violently, and the stronger members took it upon themselves to keep the weaker ones calm. Past the great paintings and sculptures, past the library and the sick ward, past the kitchen they went until they entered into a large hallway. Stone pillars lined the passage and light from the far end filtered in.

The group paused as Delilah raised her hand. "Okay," she whispered, "this is it. The final battle for Konohal is at hand. My friends, the fate of this great country, nay, the world lies upon this battle. If we must die, we must not do so in vain. But no one is going to die.

"We are strong. We have overcome challenges and enemies that would crush any ordinary men. From the youngest of us to the oldest of us, we have proven that, together, there is no enemy we cannot defeat. Let us stand now and fight once more, for the glory of Konohal and this land. We will not let the Twilight Army defeat us. We will stand strong and proud!"

The sound of slow clapping broke Delilah from her speech. The party members were so focused on their leader, they had completely missed the man who had shown up at the end of the hallway. He stood taller than all of them, and was clad from head to toe in viridian armor. A great lance was at his side.

"A great speech, milady," Hamilton snidely remarked. "You've improved since you left us."

"Hamilton," Delilah gasped, "you have-"

"Betrayed the nation? Your family? Oh, princess, you have no idea what lengths I have gone through to get to where I am today. We are going to make history here, once we eliminate you and your meddlesome friends. But I need you alive for just a while longer now."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Delilah asked, her voice cracking.

"Your parents and sister are being held captive within our grasp. Take me to the treasure room, and I shall let them live, albeit in exile," Hamilton commanded.

Delilah paused before whispering, "…lying…"

"What's that?" asked Hamilton.

"YOU'RE LYING!" Delilah screamed as tears ran down her cheeks. "My family is alive and well! I can see it in your eyes!"

Instantly, the arrogant smile on Hamilton's face vanished as his trap became useless. "No matter," the old general said as his voice boomed through the corridor. "You're still trapped here, where you will be killed, Princess Alaby. There's nowhere left for you to run, and you cannot hide in the shadows any longer. You are as good as dead, and I could easily kill you right now, but I won't. Why get my hands dirty?"

Hamilton turned his back and began to trek down the corridor, leaving Delilah stunned and the rest of the party furious. Nazz sprang forth from the back of the pack, an arrow notched to her bow.

"You dastard!" she screamed as the arrow flew at Hamilton.

The projectile collided with his back, but didn't leave so much as a scratch on the crimson armor. Hamilton stopped in his tracks and turned his head so that he was looking back at the group.

"You're going to need more than that to take me down, deary. That wasn't even enough to nick my armor!"

Hamilton turned his back to the party once again and strode out of the hall. Once he was gone, Delilah collapsed to her knees. Eddy, Ed, and Eddward ran up to her side.

"Why…why, of all the councilmen, did it have to be Hamilton?" she mumbled. "Why not James or Cagner or Severus? Why, of all people, did it have to be him?!?"

"I don't know who that guy is, love," Eddy said as he lifted Delilah from the floor. "But I think that speech o' yers was great. And now, seein' that guy act like that, it only gets us madder and madder."

"We'll fight to the bitter end, Delilah," Eddward exclaimed as he dusted off Delilah's tunic and trousers.

"Yeah! We are heroes, this is our destiny!" Ed cheered.

"Thank you, boyos," Delilah said as she smiled through her tears. "I couldn't have made it this far without you." She straightened herself out, arched her back to feel the joints crack, and then she turned to face her party.

"One last word, everyone. You die here, you're never going to achieve what you set out to do. Live, so that we can all see the sunset from the ramparts of this castle. Live, so that we might all have a feast in the Great Hall when this is over. Live, so that we can dance in the gardens again. Live…so that we might see each other again."

Everyone in the party nodded grimly and, together, as one unit, they all marched out to the other end of the hallway. The end led them into a different room, where the walls were made of strong wood and rock.

"This way will lead us to the throne room," said Delilah. "We need to follow this route and keep our wits about us. Fight with all your strength, and may the gods bless you on this day."

The final words uttered, Delilah's party prepared themselves for the fateful battle.

***

Three soldiers clad in crimson armor were waiting near a large statue of the first king of Konohal, King Claudius. All three were carrying an iron lance and a small shield so that they could protect themselves from attack. Unfortunately, they were unprepared for the bolt of fire that came through the supposedly empty hall, nor were they ready for the arrows and shadows that followed it. One by one, the soldiers were taken out by Johnny, Nazz, and Eddward, with little effort on the attackers' part.

"That went well, right, Double D?" Nazz asked as she ran behind the statue of the first king.

"Yes," the meek shaman replied as he hid behind a statue of the legendary King Rothelgar. "We've gotten so very powerful in such a short time."

"This is what adventure is all about, countrymen!" Johnny exclaimed as he leafed through his Fire spell book.

Eddward glanced over at Johnny and saw the book in his hands. "Johnny, why aren't you using the book that the Avatar gave to you?"

"'Cause I'm not very good with lightning. It's a little tricky to perform," the mage said puckishly, as if he were hiding something.

Nazz and Eddward looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and waited as a pair of cavaliers stormed down the hallway, brandishing an iron lance and sword. The enemy cavaliers were nearly at their hiding spot.

"I think now would be a good time for you to try out your new spell," Nazz whispered to Eddward. "Aim for the riders, not the horses, okay?"

"I'll try my best," replied Eddward.

The shaman pulled out the gray tome that the Avatar gave him, and he leafed through it until he came to the spell he was looking for.

He shouted, in a commanding voice, "Forces of darkness, drain the life of mine enemy! NOSFERATU!"

Black mist circled out of the air and seemed to grab the cavaliers in its clutches. The men were dragged from their steeds up into the air, where they seemed to be strangled by the encroaching mist. Red lights filled the smoke as the enemies inside had the life force drained from their bodies. Finally, the mist returned into Eddward's body as the cavaliers were dropped onto the stone floor. When the mist came back to Eddward, it seemed to seep into the very pores of his body.

"What in god's name was that?!" asked Nazz.

"It's a dark spell called Nosferatu. It's…none too pleasant, as you can see," answered Eddward.

"Double D, you are one terrifying dastard," said Kevin as he stormed through the hall on his horse, startling the other horses in the process. "Now, Rolf's will be here in a moment; until he gets her, I want all of you to stay down and on your guard."

"You need not wait for the son of a shepherd, Kevin-Boy," Rolf shouted as he ran up to the group, an iron axe gripped in both hands. "Rolf is here."

"Then let's go!" Johnny exclaimed as he ran through the hall. Before he rounded the corner though, he was stopped by a large, armored knight who stomped out and swatted the mage away with the butt of his lance.

Though the small group could not see into his face, they could tell that the knight was smirking at them. "You won't be getting past me, you brats," the large man said. "I'm invincible!"

"No man is invincible when he faces the son of a shepherd," cried Rolf. "Have at thee!"

Rolf jumped ahead of the group and landed right in front of the knight. In the blink of an eye, he swung his axe around and tore through the enemy's armor. What he hit, though, was actually a shield that the knight had been holding in front of his body. Before the knight could attack, Rolf brought his other axe down and smashed apart the helmet and the torso armor, exposing the knight's head to attack. The knight fell to the ground, blood streaming from his head.

"Let us keep moving, my companions," Rolf said as he moved past the fallen knight. He was stopped when the knight swung his lance out and cut Rolf across the side with the blade. The shepherd winced and twisted around, ready to attack again, but the knight shoved his lance straight into Rolf's chest.

"Damn you!" Kevin shouted as he gored the knight with an iron lance. The knight howled in pain before he was silenced by Rolf stomping his head into the ground.

"Are you okay, Rolf?" Nazz asked as she ran up to the fighter.

"Urk…Rolf is fine. This is not but a wound of the flesh," Rolf groaned. He tipped a vulnerary to his lips and felt the healing liquid trickle down his throat. Slowly, the wounds on his body began to heal, the blood flow slowing until it ceased all together.

"Now then, let us be off," said Rolf as he stormed off down the hallway.

"Wait for me, Rolf!" Johnny shouted as he ran after the fighter.

"Let's go, you two," said Kevin as he rode off in pursuit.

Eddward paused before following. He looked at the fallen knight and realized there was a key of some sort on the man's belt. Cautiously, he removed it and held it up to his eyes.

"Probably a chest key of some kind," the young shaman mumbled to himself.

"Double D, let's go!" Nazz exclaimed from the end of the hallway.

"Coming!"

***

When the party split up into groups, they followed Delilah's orders: Kevin, Rolf, Nazz, Johnny, and Eddward were all to take the west exit to the throne room, so that they might clear out any enemies that would come to attack Delilah's group. The rest of the party took the east exit, the quicker route to the throne room, so as to avoid as many attacks from the enemy.

Now, heading down a short hallway, Delilah found herself on the east side of the great throne room, which was overlooked by a walkway around the top of the room. While the rest of the party waited in the hallway, she took a look around the room to spy on any enemies. There were three archers in the upper area, and she noticed several soldiers and two mercenaries waiting near the far end.

"This could be tricky…" she murmured to herself.

The princess turned back to her party and began to issue commands. "Sarah, Eddy, and I will head up the steps and get rid of the archers. Quietly, mind you. Once we three dispose of the enemies above, the rest of you head out and dispose of the ones out there. Understand?"

Her question was greeted with much nodding, so she returned the nod and made a sign for Sarah and Eddy to follow her. The three moved sneakily through the room, making sure to draw no attention to themselves. Up the stairs they went, and then, once they were up above, they moved to attack the archers. Eddy ran forward and gutted the first one with his sword, then slit the enemy's throat with a knife. Before the archer even hit the floor, Delilah was leaping ahead for the next enemy. With a quick jab, she stabbed her thin sword into the archer's neck, rendering him incapable of screaming for help.

Unfortunately, the last archer was fine, and she shouted down to the soldiers below, "We're under attack!" The enemies noticed the attacks above, and then they saw Delilah's party coming, but it was too late for them to do anything. Ed was charging forward, leading an attack on the Twilight soldiers.

"The pipes are broken!" he howled as he smacked a soldier in the head with his sword. The man fell to the ground, writhing in pain, only to be trampled under Abram's hooves a moment later. Lance in hand, the older knight speared through one soldier and Sarai finished the job by running her lance through the unlucky man. Aang ran forward, Jimmy right behind him, as the bald monk blasted any opposition away with powerful spells. The floor was erupting in violence, fire, and destruction.

Up above, the enemy archer notched an arrow to her bow and fired at Sarah, but the little girl dodged it and stormed forward. With a tear, she ripped the bow apart with her sword. Her sword suddenly broke apart then, leaving her defenseless.

"Nuts," she grumbled as she gripped the hilt in her hand and punched the archer in the face. The woman fell to the floor, her head spinning from the attack. Sarah felt proud of herself, and moved to head back down below, but she was struck by a blast of golden light.

"We've got a monk!" Lee shouted as she smashed the butt end of her lance into a mercenary's face.

Ed screamed, "Sister!" and ran forward, trying to find the monk. He rounded the corner and came face to face with tanned man with long brown hair. The monk whispered something that Ed could not understand and the tome in his hands began to glow with golden light. A ball of the light exploded in Ed's face, throwing him across the room.

"ED!" cried May. She swiftly grabbed a javelin from a fallen soldier and flew towards Ed as fast as she could. Aiming carefully, she hurled the javelin, missing the monk by mere inches. The monk caught sight of the pegasus knight and began a new incantation. May was struck by the golden light, but she remained unfazed, a trait she had acquired from her early training. She aimed once again, and threw the javelin with all her might. This time, the attack hit dead on. The javelin went straight through the monk, cutting through his entire body. He was dead before he even hit the ground.

May landed her winged steed, hopped off, and ran to Ed's side. "Ed! Ed, can you hear me?!"

"I…May…is that…you?" he groaned.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" she cried as she wrapped him in an embrace.

"Ouch! Burns…all over…hurting!"

"Hate to break up the lovely picture," Eddy shouted from up above, "but we've got company!" From down the hall came a group of cavaliers, riding hell for bent.

"Eek!" Jimmy shrieked as he hid behind a pillar.

"Jimmy! Move me to the end of the hall!" Aang shouted, his staff in hand.

Jimmy gripped the staff that was in his hands, and began to perform a spell. "Winds of fate, sweep Aang away. WARP!" Emerald lights shimmered around Aang's body, and he vanished instantly. The Avatar reappeared at the end of the hallway, the emerald lights fading fast.

There were two reasons Aang had had Jimmy move him to attack the cavaliers. First, he wanted to help protect his new friends. Secondly, when he heard the sounds of the cavaliers charging, he saw something coming from the far end of the hallway. It seemed to be a hand axe, but Aang recognized it as something that came from the Southern Tribe of Poseida. The weapon belonged to one of his dearest friends; to see that friend here filled Aang with hope.

The cavaliers all charged out of the hallway, heading straight for Aang. The bald monk held up his spell book and began to chant, "Estrea, kulsomba, trenasette! ELFIRE!" A bolt of golden fire flew from his hands and collided with one of the cavaliers, completely incinerating the rider atop the horse. Another cavalier was hit from behind with the familiar hand axe, while the two on the sides were killed by a pegasus knight and a myrmidon.

"Aang!" exclaimed the one who had thrown the hand axe. 'You're still alive!"

Moving away from the enemy horses, Aang was greeted by Prince Zuko of Waldor, Sokka of Poseida, and Suki of the Kyoshi Island. Zuko's long black hair fell into his face, nearly covering his scarred eye, and he stoically nodded to the Avatar while Sokka and Suki greeted their friend.

Sokka was tall, much taller than Aang, and built much more like a warrior. His hair was a dark brown and his skin was tanned. He wore a sleeveless blue vest and black pants with furred boots on his feet. A hefty axe was strapped to his back. Suki, on the other hand, had rust-colored hair that she kept tied behind her head and wore white battle paint on her face, like all Kyoshi warriors. She wore green armor all over her body, and she rode atop a white horse that had green armor on. Her iron lance was in her hand, and an iron sword was kept at her side.

"So good to see you again, Ava- Aang," Suki said as she hopped down from her horse and gave Aang a hug.

"It is great to see you all again," Aang said. "Sokka, how's Katara? And is Toph still safe?"

Sokka bowed his head. "They're still safe. Toph is with Bumi, and Katara is with our father back in the tribe-lands. I don't know how long the tribe can last in battle though. As soon as we're done here, we need to leave to help her."

"I understand," Aang mumbled.

"For now, Avatar, let us help you and Princess Alaby fight off these invaders," said Zuko as he gripped his swords in hand.

Delilah walked down into the hall and greeted Zuko and the group. "Prince Zuko, it is an honor to see you once again," she said eloquently.

"The same to you, Princess Alaby," said Zuko.

"We need to hurry into the throne room. The High Council has betrayed us, and we need to halt their invasion," said Delilah.

"Then we should hurry," said Zuko.

"But I must ask, how did you get into the palace in the first place?" Delilah asked.

"I let them into the palace, your majesty."

Into the room came another member of the royal guard. His name was Akira, the chief nomad of the Konohal guard. He was clad in a green bandana around his forehead, with chainmail around his body and viridian boots on his feet. There was a crossbow in his hands, locked and ready for combat.

"Akira! So good to see you again!" said Delilah as she ran up to the nomad.

"I am glad to see you safe and well, Princess. We almost counted you lost," Akira said to the princess.

"Really, enough with the introductions!" Eddy shouted. "In case you didn't know, we're trying to free the palace from the enemy. Let's get moving! We can have fun later!"

"Eddy's right," said Lee. "Let's go."

***

It was not long after that both parties found themselves in the center of the throne room, where the commander of the forces was waiting. Sitting on the king's throne was Hamilton, still wearing his noble armor and his cocky smirk. Everyone in the party stood tall and firm, showing now weakness.

"Well, I should not be surprised that you managed to get here, Alaby, but you have well exceeded my expectations. It almost saddens me that I should kill you now," said Hamilton as he rose from his throne.

"I have but one question, traitor," asked Alaby. "When did you betray my family and this kingdom?"

"About four years ago, after losing both my sons in the war Waldor. I was heartbroken and lost. I knew that this world needed to change, and that that change was not going to come from the likes of royalty," said Hamilton. "The Twilight Army plans to change the world to fit the better of every man."

"By releasing the monsters held back for centuries?" asked Alaby.

"Yes. We will destroy this world and begin it anew. It will be glorious…" Hamilton's gaze turned to the party. "Now you stand in the way of that peace that I long after. And I shall strike you down, where you stand."

"No more talk," said Delilah. "Fight!"

Delilah surged forward and used a rapier to strike through a small point in the general's armor. Hamilton winced, but he knocked the princess away with a swat of his fists. Rolf and Ed both sprang forward, brandishing their weapons menacingly. Ed struck first, slashing down across the general's chest, but the attack did little to help. Rolf went next, and though his attack connected with the foe, it was not so great that he could be felled. His lance raised high, Hamilton thrust the spear deep into Ed's side, then grabbed Rolf by the head and threw him into the ground, rattling Rolf's skull.

Next came an assault from Sokka and Lee, as the two ran ahead and struck at Hamilton at the same time, Sokka with his axe, Lee with her lance. Though they managed to cause a crack in the armor, it did little to stop the mighty general. He pulled his sword out of Ed's body and then struck at Lee, shattering her armor and throwing her back onto the ground. He used the butt of the lance to hit break Sokka's ribs.

While all this was going on, Jimmy ran back and forth, healing everyone he could reach. The terrified boy realized that this was the moment he needed to prove himself. He worked his healing spells furiously, tending to Ed's massive wound before moving onto Sokka. Hamilton spotted the little healer and charged at him, lance pointing directly at Jimmy's head.

"Jimmy, move!" screamed Sarah.

"Die, little healer!" Hamilton shouted.

Jimmy turned, raised a staff and cried, "WARP!" Instantly, Hamilton vanished, only to reappear at the far end of the room. Jimmy fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Delilah attacked again, spinning through the air before attacking the crack that Sokka and Lee had created. The sword penetrated the thick armor and she drove the blade right into Hamilton's muscular side. He roared in pain and again attacked Delilah, this time with the blade of his lance. She would have been killed, at Eddward and Aang not attacked at that moment. Eddward was using his Flux spell while Aang produced Elfire, injuring Hamilton to a good extent. When the attacks finished, the general turned his attention to the mages, and he charged them with his lance.

"Taste the fury of the gods, you ham! THUNDER!" cried Johnny as he read from the golden Thunder spell book. A brilliant bolt of blue lightning crashed down through the roof of the palace and connected with Hamilton, frying the general through his massive armor. The lance dropped from his hands and Hamilton collapsed to his knees.

"Did…did we win?" Eddy asked hesitantly.

"No."

Hamilton raised himself from the ground and grabbed an axe from his side. He hurled the great weapon was hurled at Eddy, who barely ducked out of the way before it smashed into the spot where he just was. Before he could attack again, Ed and Rolf charged him and attacked once more. Ed ducked down low to avoid Hamilton's axe, and he used his sword to smash through the armor on Hamilton's chest. Next, Rolf brought his axes down right into the gap Ed had made. The attacks combined struck Hamilton in his bare chest, causing blood to pour forth from his armor.

"Once more, everyone!" Delilah shouted as she ran forward with her sword in hand.

Eddward, Aang, and Johnny unleashed their attacks in a relentless fury, pausing only so that Rolf, Ed, Sokka, and Lee could strike at Hamilton with their weapons. Finally, Hamilton fell to the floor, his breathing shallow and growing softer by the minute. With everyone clearing away, Delilah walked up to the fallen general. Her face was set in stone.

"What…I thought we were to win…" Hamilton gasped.

Delilah raised her sword high into the air. "Lord Hamilton, councilman of the Logia county, you have committed high treason to the royal family and to the nation of Konohal. By the power given to me by birth, I, Alaby of the crown, do slay you in the name of peace and justice. May the gods have mercy on your soul." She brought the sword down into Hamilton's back, straight down through the armor and through his heart.

Once the act was done, Delilah noticed the blood trickling down from her head and began to feel the strain of the day catching up to her. The princess fell to her knees and faded into unconsciousness as her friends and allies surrounded her.

***

The councilmen all waited on baited breath in their secret room, when there came a knocking on the door. The knocking became louder and louder until the noise became a great pounding.

"Open the doors, Councilmen," came a booming voice from outside. "You will pay for your crimes."

The door was broken down and in stormed over a dozen soldiers, armed with lance and shield. King Lorence, Queen Gertrude and Princess Philomena followed after the troops. Lorence glared at all the guilty councilmen in the room.

"It would appear that there are still soldiers loyal to the crown in this castle," the king snarled. "Unlike you lot. Every councilman in this room is under arrest for high treason against Konohal."

***

A day later, Delilah woke from her slumber. Her eyes fluttered open, and she found herself in her old bedroom. She was lying on a viridian bed that was softer than anything she had felt in what seemed to be eternity. The sun shone through the beautiful windows and beckoned Delilah to her feet. She hesitantly rose to her feet, trembling slightly from the enormous strain in her muscles. Once steady, she walked over to the windows and opened them slowly. A cool wind blew in through the open windows, refreshing her and filling her with ease and calm. Down below, in the gardens, she could hear music and people cheering.

"The people of the land have not been told what has happened," said Lorence. "For now, it is just time for another festival."

"Father!" cried Delilah.

The king ran through the room and scooped Delilah up into his arms. Whether it was because she was so small or he was so big, Lorence cradled his daughter in his arms as if she were still a young child.

"How we've missed you, my girl," the noble king said while tears streamed down his bronze cheeks. "Look at how you've grown."

"And how I've missed you, father. It is…wonderful to be home once more," Delilah said through her own tears of happiness.

"Alaby!"

Philomena ran into the room, her mother just behind her. Delilah's smile grew even bigger as her father let her down and she swept her sister into a tight embrace. Her mother took both her daughters into her arms, kissing Delilah on her forehead.

"I am so glad you are safe, Alaby," her mother said. "We missed you so very much!"

"And I you, mother. And I you."

A servant appeared in the doorway suddenly. "Your Majesty, there are three boys wishing to know if "Delilah" is awake yet."

The king asked his daughter, "'Delilah'? Is that you?"

She nodded and said to the servant, "Let them in, Harold."

Before the servant even left the doorway, Ed, Eddward, and Eddy all ran into the room, straight for Delilah.

"Delilah!" they all cheered as they tackled her in a hug. The royal family all chuckled and laughed at the boys' antics. Delilah herself was laughing as she pushed the boys off her.

"Dear, who are these young men?" asked Gertrude.

"Mother…it is a long story…" Delilah said with a tired grin on her face.

***

_My thanks to everyone for their patience in my delivering this chapter, and my apologies. I've worked hard to make this chapter the best yet and I hope it shows. I hope you enjoy this! And, with that said, I'm letting everyone know that the story will be continued in October, and look for the next chapter in the Twilight Army story in September, in Total Drama Emblem. _

_The character Akira belongs to kitsune9999, the idea of Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo, and Ed, Edd n Eddy belongs to Cartoon Network._


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